Realizations
by Calmer of the Storm
Summary: AU Hikari is a princess and Takeru is a prince. The land is in horrible danger, and the two are sent out for reinforcements. The thing is, they absolutley hate eachother. Will their journey be a success?
1. The Assignment

Angel of Light: Okay, this is my second fic! It's mainly Takari, and there's also a bit of Kenyako and Taiora. Tell me what you think of this!  
  
Cody: Once again......she forgets...  
  
Angel of Light: *looks innocent* I didn't forget anything. What are you talking about? *twitches*  
  
Cody: It's called the disclaimer.  
  
Angel of Light: *acts stupid* What's that?  
  
Cody: Never mind...........She doesn't own it, and she never will. On with the fic.  
  
Italics: thinking/emphasized words ~*~ Change in scene/time  
  
War had broken out over the land. The dark forces of Sarizan were taking everything. He had control of most of the east part of the world, and was planning to move to the west. This was perfect, as the west knew nothing about him, and they were weaker than the east. He had but two more kingdoms to conquer, the strongest, but even they were running out of men. Everything was going perfectly.  
  
~*~  
  
"So, what's what's the news?" King Stephan asked one of his knights.  
  
"Well Sir, the battle at the havens has been won, but we are running out of warriors. We won't last another battle." The knight reported.  
  
"Not even with the help of Tetelestai?" The King asked.  
  
"No, Sir. I don't know how long this can last, we're all going to fall." He said gravely.  
  
King Stephan nodded, "Alright, thank you. Return to your post."  
  
The knight bowed, and stepped out of the throne room.  
  
The King looked over to his son. "We're going to need reinforcements."  
  
"But, from where?" The boy asked.  
  
"From the west." His father replied.  
  
"But, how?" He asked  
  
"I will send you and the prince from Tetelestai.You will ask for help." The King informed.  
  
"But father, I can't go. I have to stay and fight. Hikari can do it, she and the younger prince can go. They are strong and can look after themselves, but they can't be used in the war. I'm sure they'll do fine." Prince Tai suggested.  
  
His father pondered this for a second, "Yes, but you know how they feel about eachother."  
  
"They'll just have to get over it." Tai inforced.  
  
King Stephan let out a deep breath, "Alright, but she isn't going to like this. Go get your sister, I'd rather she hear it from me than from you. I'll send a messenger to King Inishou."  
  
With that. Tai left to find his sister. This wasn't hard to do, because she was either in one of two places: The stable, or riding in the fields. Then there was also the castle, but not at this time of day. He found her with ease, just as he had predicted, in the stables.  
  
"Hikari!" He called.  
  
"What?" She demanded form the other side of her horse.  
  
"Father wants to speak with you." Tai informed.  
  
"About what?" She asked coming around to the other side  
  
"You'll just have to go and find out now, won't you." He smiled, he enjoyed torturing his sister.  
  
She frowned at him, and sighed. "Fine, be that way." Hikari quickly put the white mare away, then headed to the castle.  
  
"You wanted to see me?" She asked.  
  
"Yes, yes I did. I need you to go out west and bring back some reinforcements for the war. It's crucial to our survival." The King told her.  
  
"Oh, alright when do I leave?" She asked  
  
"Hopefully tomorrow. It all depends on when Prince Takeru and his brother get here." He said.  
  
"Why would that matter?" She asked, puzzled.  
  
"Because Prince Takeru will be going with you. Now, before you say anything, We needed two representatives from our two kingdoms, and the older Princes need to stay and fight. You two were our only other choices." He explained.  
  
Hikari was horrified "But...Father...I can't do this! I hate him and you know that! I can go on my own!"  
  
"I'm sorry, but I can't allow that. I know you hate him, but you're a big girl, and when people get older, they sometimes have to do things and work with people they don't want to." King Stephan said.  
  
She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. Her natural non- selfishness was coming in. If she didn't go, it would mean the end of this land, and possibly the world. She would just have to live with it. Hikari nodded her head, "Alright, I'm still going."  
  
Her father smiled, "Good. Now go pack. Who knows, you may even begin to like him."  
  
The princess shot him a deadly glare before walking down the corridor to her room. She found some casual clothes, to hide the fact that she was royalty. They were also alot more comfortable and easier to travel in. She found some stuff that she would need, and packed them into saddlebags. She also packed a few things in a small sack to carry. Princess Hikari glanced out the window before going to bed. ~*~  
  
Prince Takeru wasn't exactly happy with the fact that he would be travelling with her either. He didn't know exactly why she hated him, he just knew she did. In turn, he hated her back. He also knew that this was for the kingdom, and would save this country. The things he had to do for this place.........  
  
His brother, Prince Yamato, thought it would be a good chance to get to know her. Takeru had to admit, she wasn't all that bad looking, but she had a temper. That's one thing everyone passed by when they first saw her. Of course, Yamato thought this whole thing was a good idea, considering Tai was his best friend.  
  
He too packed and went to sleep. ~*~  
  
In the morning, the two Princes made their way to the kingdom of Paga. It wasn't very far, only about a day's journey. These two kingdom's were close, compaired to the others in the country.  
  
The draw bridge lowered, and they rode into the courtyard. Takeru's mount was a massive black stallion, built for long speedy journeys. Yamato rode a flaming red one, his own battle horse.  
  
Takeru was wearing a breastplate, and armour on his arms and legs. Chain meil brotected the weak spots. He also had a red flowing cape that came down to his ankles. He wore no helmet. A glimmering sword rested by his side.  
  
The trumpets sounded, and King Stephan entered the courtyard, followed by Taichi and Sora, Tai's fiancee, and Hikari. The princess ran to the stables to grab her mare, and emerged a few moments later.  
  
She too was clad with slight armour, but not quite as heavily. Her breastplate was covered by a brown cloak. She also wore chain meil. A sword, not as big as Takeru's, hung in her sheath.  
  
Hikari mounted, then looked to her father.  
  
"Make haste, we aren't sure how long we can last. Find the kingsom's of Tohuw and Asterix. They should be able to bring support. Stay out of trouble, and please, be safe." The king told them. He patted his daughter's hand, then sent them off.  
  
"Goodbye!" Hikari called out, and they rode off.  
  
Even as they left the castle, the pleasantries began.  
  
"Don't think I'm any happy about this either," The Prince stated bluntly.  
  
Hikari didn't even reply, just scowled. 'This is going to fun......." She thought. Of course, this was sarcastic.  
  
Angel of Light: So, that's the first chapter of this one.....it'll problably be a long one, so.....ya.......Please R&R! Thanx! 


	2. The Forest

Angel of Light: I know I haven't been working on this, but I was hoping to get more reviews on it……..anyways, I'll try maybe a couple more chapters, and if I don't get much response, I'll stop this one. Again, this is all up to you guys!

Princess Hikari rode astride Prince Takeru. The two refused to look at each other, much less talk. The only conversation was to make fun of the other, or point out the other's faults. 

They walked through a forest, which bordered the domain of Kari's kingdom. The forest was dense, preventing light from getting through. However, some rays of sunshine were able to sneak through the canopy of trees. Many creatures lived in the forest, many common things, like squirrels and rabbits, but there were also others. There were legends of creatures that lived in the forest. None of them had actually peen proven, but they were still told none the less. 

One legend tells that a massive beast lives in the forest. It is said to have seven heads, each adorned with three horns, and thousands of razor-sharp teeth. They say golden armour covers its body, melted together from the possessions of its victims. There is some argument to its colour, some say a fiery red, others say it's an emerald green, to hide in the forest. More have come to believe that it lives in the lake, therefore it would be blue. No one even knows if such a creature exists, and most people don't want to. 

The day was growing old, and the dim light in the forest was fading. It was impossible to travel at night, for it was completely dark. There would be no way to tell where the path was.

"It would be stupid to go on any further." Kari said curtly. 

"Well, _I _think we should keep going. Those stories, some could be true" Takeru replied in the same tone. 

"You actually _believe _those things? I mean, come on. You don't even live in this kingdom. What, are you scared?" She taunted.

Takeru gave her a dirty look, "I'm just taking precautions."

"Well then, you can take all the precautions you want, because I'm staying. I don't care what you have to say, and you can't make me go on." He dismounted, and tied her mare to a nearby tree. She unpacked some food, and sat down on the other side, away from him.

"Fine! But I'm only staying because you're father will have my head if something happens!"

Kari gasped dramatically, "Wait, is that…………do I _actually _hear a sense of _caring _in your voice?" This was again, sarcastic.

"How could anybody _actually_ careabout _you_?" He asked.

There was no response. The princess just ignored him. 

Night finally fell, and, as predicted, the forest turned to an endless sea of black. Kari had been right, and Takeru had been wrong, but he wasn't about to admit that. 

The horses were unusually calm. There was something different about them, but it wasn't something that you could notice right away. They were perfect, almost too perfect. Their bodies were perfectly proportioned, and their coats were flawless. Their tails were not like that of a normal horse. They were long and skinny, then puffed out at the end. One might compare them to that of a donkey's, but they were much more elegant. 

The night brought many things. Though it was impossible to see, the forest seemed to be more alive. Maybe it was the fact that most animals come out at dusk, or maybe it was just that travellers are more aware of their surroundings. 

Both humans slept restlessly, but wouldn't admit that to the other. Hikari even sat up for a while during the night. The ground was hard and uneven, making it difficult to sleep on. 

The horses, however, slept standing up. Therefore, they had no trouble. 

~*~

In the morning, Takeru was the first one up. He started a small fire, and placed some of the fish he had just caught. They weren't hard to catch, as they were in a very small pond, and there were many of them. 

The smell was what woke Kari up. 

"Ew, what is that _awful_ smell?" she demanded.

"It's just fish, and if you can't deal with that, you're not fit for such a journey." He replied.

"I wasn't talking about the fish, stupid. I _know _what fish smells like." she gave him an annoyed look, which he gave right back. 

The Princess then ventured just outside their small campsite, to find a rather dead bear. Kari looked it over, and found that something had killed it. These bears were rarely seen, and were highly dangerous. Obviously, the bear had come by during the night, probably picking up their scent. What confused her was that she didn't hear it, or anything else for that matter. If this bear hadn't have been killed, they would have been. These bears are stealthy hunters, and prey never gets away.

The bear had suffered from serious gashes to its body. It was a rather horrid sight, as blood was splattered everywhere, and its front leg was severed badly. The final blow looked to have been given to the neck, where an artery was struck, thus ending the life of the bear.

Another thing caught Kari's eye. There were no signs of any struggle, between the bear and its killer. However, she looked up, and many tree branches were broken, but still clung to the trees.

_"How is this possible?"_ she thought to herself, _"the branches are broken, but I didn't hear anything last night………what really happened?"_

She didn't want to find out. She rushed back to the camp, and grabbed one of Takeru's fish, then packed her things, and untied Erowin, her mare. 

"Hey! That was mine! And where are you going so fast?" he demanded.

"Shut up and get ready to go. As for the fish, thank-you for making it for me." she replied brusquely.

"What's your problem?"

"Just get your horse! Is that too much to ask?"

The Prince sighed and rolled his eyes. He then went to untie Tallow, his stallion. 

She wasn't about to explain to him the story of the bear. She wouldn't admit that it had frightened her, and that she wanted to get out of the forest, as fast as possible.

"So what's with the sudden change of mind? Finally realize that I'm right?"

He was, but she wouldn't say. "NO, I'm just thinking of my father, and that we should get help fast. If we don't get there in time, all hope is lost." the princess lied.

As soon as he mounted, Hikari urged the white mare into a gallop. In contrast to the unpredictable woods, the path was rather smooth and strait. People galloped through it all the time, making it relatively safe for the horse to go through.

Frustrated, he urged his horse on as well, chasing after her. 

They raced on for the rest of the day, never once letting the horses stop for a break. The animals took this surprisingly well. Finally, they emerged from the other side of the forest, and out into a rocky pass. 

The path continued on, though it was rougher than before. This was because of all the rocks. 

That night, it stared to rain. Weather in the mountains was far worse, because they were higher above sea level. They found a cave, or rather some over hanging rocks, to take shelter under. The overhang was big, so they were able to stay far away from one another, just like they wanted. 

~*~

A shadow loomed above them, though they were oblivious to it. Something lurked in the shadows above the Price and Princess. It's eyes glowed red, and it's breath scorched the humid air. It crouched, concealed by the rocks, watching, and waiting. The creature was massive, and only because of the size of the rocks, was he able to stay hidden. It growled slightly, from the depths of its throat. 

The mare heard this, and looked up. Her eyes skinned the rocks, not seeing anything. She did a second sweep, and this time, her eyes fell upon the loitering figure. A shiver ran through her body, though she did not run. She only stood, watching the creature. Erowin made no indication to the others that there was anything unusual about. 

~*~

Once again, Takeru was the first to wake. This time, he made only enough food for himself, and ate it fast. He then packed his things, and waited. 

When the Princess finally did stir, he scolded her and told her to get her horse. The only thing she ate, were the words she had spoken the day before. 

Bitterly, she mounted, and they raced off again, this time, at a slower pace. 

The deeper they got into the mountains, the less they saw of the living things. Plants became scarce, and they would only see a small rodent or a bird now and then. The path had narrowed considerably, and they were forced to travel in single file. Eventually, there was no life at all, and the silence was deafening. 


	3. Strange Encounters

Angel of Light: I'm still not getting the response I was hoping for this story. I'll keep it going, but I'm not sure for how long. I do appreciate those who have been reviewing me though, and I thank you for that. Anyways, here's the next chapter!

As they travelled through the mountains, the only sound that could be heard was the clip-clopping of hooves upon the stone pathway. No birds flew overhead, and no animals scurried across the ground. This land seemed to be dead and deserted, for an unknown reason. It looked as if something had been living here at one point, but whatever it was, it was long gone now. 

The horses went on well, considering the circumstances. In reality, no horse could ever go through here. There was something different about the two, something almost magical. This was unknown to the riders. 

The path went strait through the mountains, and then bent sharply around the corner. The trail was extremely narrow, one wrong placing of a hoof, and it would be over. 

Hikari glanced over the cliff, to find herself thousands of feet in the air. Below, a raging river half a mile wide gushed through the ravine, and plummeted over a waterfall. To the riders above, it only looked like a trickling brook, only a few feet across. Even along the river's edge, there was no sign of life, neither plant nor animal. 

"Are you coming or not?" Takeru spat at Hikari who was lagging behind.

"You'd just _love _to go on without me, wouldn't you?" she said, not answering his question.

Takeru rolled his eyes, and urged the stallion forward. Hikari had no choice but to do the same. 

At last, the path steered away from the cliff, and began to slope gently downwards. There was still no evidence of life. 

As the day grew old, they came to yet another cliff. This time, it looked out over the land. Below them, there was an endless sea of trees, in in the midst of it, there was a small town, surrounded by stone walls. The pair, or rather, Takeru decided that they should head for it. Hikari, of course, refused. 

"What makes you the leader all of a sudden?" she demanded.

"I'm just making a suggestion, and last time I checked, you didn't have any." he replied curtly.

"Well, _I _think we should avoid it. We don't know anything about them." Though she had a point, Takeru was stubborn and went with his initial decision. 

"Still, they could be of some help to us. If you don't want to come, that's fine with me."

The Princess sighed, "Alright, but if anything happens to me, my father will have you hung in the gallows." 

"I'm sure he would find it a blessing to get rid of you." The Prince shot back.

Hikari glared daggers at him, and doubled back down to the mountain path.

Prince Takeru followed bitterly. 

For the rest of the day and well into the night, they travelled. Once they had made it far enough down the mountain, the pair busted into a gallop. The path was still treacherous, but the horses chose their footing well. 

Once they entered the forest, they realized that the village was a lot farther than they had first perceived, however, they were not about to stop in the forest. This one was more eerie than the last, and there was something that was not quite right about it. The trees seemed to be more alive than one would like them to be. It was almost as if they were purposely putting their roots in the pathway, and reaching out to grab any traveller with bony fingers. 

Tired, they pressed on. They went on as fast as possible, as the forest, just like any other at night, was no welcoming place. Though she hated him more than anything in this world, Kari stuck close to Takeru. He, for some reason unknown to her, didn't object to this as she thought he might. 

Just as the night was dying and dawn was breaking, they caught a glimpse of the stony walls. This lifted their spirits, and they rode towards them. 

The pair found, when they reached it, that the walls were heavily guarded, and there was only one way out, which was the iron gate that only opened on command. 

"Who goes there?" A guard shouted from above.

"We're uh, travellers!" Prince Takeru shouted back.

"State your business!"

"We only seek rest, then to move on tomorrow." Takeru explained.

The guard talked to another, then asked one more question. "Who are you loyal to?"

Hikari stepped in on this one "Whoever will pay the most!"

The guard had not realized that she was a woman, for she wore a hood. "Who is that? She your woman?"

Kari scowled at that remark, not liking it one bit. 

Hesitantly, the Prince nodded his head. The guard looked at the other once more, exchanged a few words, then came back with a reply.

"Dismount your horses, and we will bring them to our stables. We will take care of them there. You can spend the night in the inn, then set off tomorrow as you have said you will. If you cause any trouble, you will be severely punished. Is that understood?"

"Yes, very." Takeru yelled back. Obviously these were very sceptical people, and didn't trust outsiders. 

The guard signalled someone below him, and the massive iron gate was opened. Once they were through, it was closed again. Two other guards took the horses, leaving them to wander the town.

The settlement was small, but like the forest, there was something that wasn't quite right about it. To look at it, it looked like any normal town, it had and inn, a market, houses, but you had to go deeper than that. The newcomers just shrugged off this feeling, thinking it was just that they were uneasy in new surroundings. 

Takeru was rather fascinated with the sight of it all. He lagged behind the Princess, taking in everything. He loved to walk through the villages of his own kingdom, sometimes in his royal clothes, sometimes not. It amused him to see the different reactions he got from people. The Prince stopped to watch and elderly man haggling with a merchant. 

This made the Princess rather annoyed with him. She was tired and irritable, and it didn't help much that she hated him. 

"What are you doing Takeru? We're supposed to be finding the inn, not standing around or sight-seeing!" she scolded.

Right when she had finished, what seemed to be the whole area stopped and stared. They all had looks of horror and shock on their faces.

Nervously, Hikari looked around. It was then she noticed the thing that gave her the uneasy feeling, and the answer to why the guard had made such a snide remark about her. There were no women about, only men.

The two were now in the attention of every person, who happened to all be male. One man, the elderly one who had been talking to the merchant, stepped out.

"Does your woman always speak to you like this?" he asked.

Hikari wanted to punch the man out cold. She did _not _like being spoken about in this manner, but she calmed herself down. 

"Uh, she was just joking……she does that sometimes…..funny girl, isn't she…." Takeru said.

The man just looked at him sceptically, and walked over to him. 

"Keep her under control', he whispered, "you never know what she'll do to you."

"Th-thanks f-for the tip." He stammered.

The man smiled, and went back to discussing business with the salesman, and everyone else went back to doing what they were doing before. 

Takeru quickly ran and caught up to Hikari. He grabbed her hand, for show, and dragged her further down the street. Finally, they found the place marked 'inn'. He pulled her in. 

When they entered, yet another man greeted them. This time, however, there were women in the vicinity, though they were not treated very well. They were treated as slaves, and even worse. They were cleaning the floors, and fulfilling any request that any of the men might pose, even if it were against her wishes. Hikari was horrified at the sight.

"So, she good for you?" The man had a strange accent.

Takeru smiled, and placed his arm around her waist. "Yes." He had no clue what the guy meant, but decided it best to play along. 

When he did this, Kari felt something strange go through her. It was something she'd never felt before, and it sent chills down her spine. She didn't know what it was, and she didn't like it. It made her uncomfortable. Then, it hit her. She knew what it was, sort of. It kindled the resentment that she had for him, and she hated him even more. 

The two finally finished chatting, and they were led to a room on the second floor. Once they were inside, Takeru spoke.

"You're not to leave the room until it is time to leave", he informed her, enjoying this.

"What?!" She exclaimed.

"Hey, not my rules, it's theirs. Anyways, I'm hungry, so I'm going down to the tavern to get some food. If there's any leftover's, maybe I'll bring you some." Without giving her a chance to reply, he left the room. Hikari was seriously considering leaving, and having him killed for not 'keeping his woman under control'. 

~*~

In the tavern, Takeru found a seat at an empty table. He ordered a bowl of stew, and some water. He waited patiently. 

While he was there, a man came over and sat across from him. Takeru looked up, confused.

"Who're you?" he asked the man.

"My name is of no importance here. I take it you're not from around here."

The Prince was taken aback by this, but answered anyways, "No, just travelling."

"To tell you the truth, I'm not a native to these parts either. I'll admit, I found their unusual customs odd too, but I got used to them. Can't say the same for my sister."

"What?"

"This place is nice, if you're a man. You've no rights here is you're a woman." he stated.

"Why's that?" Asked Takeru.

"Just what they believe. Women are only good for being slaves, and coming to the needs of men, even foreigners. They believe that women are only on this planet to bear children, cook and clean." the man explained.

"Oh."

The an leaned in closer, "And they don't like royals, either."

The Prince looked at the man, shocked. How did he know? Was this a good thing, or a bad thing?


	4. Many Meetings

Angel of Light: AHHHHHHHHHH! I JUST SPENT TWO HOURS ON THIS CHAPTER AND MY STUPID COMPUTER DELETED IT!!!!!!!!!!ARGH!!!!!!! *takes deep breath* Okay……I'll try this again……..Thanks to all those who have reviewed, it's nice to have some support. I really appreciate you guys!

Hikari moped around the room. It was dark, dreary and musty, no place that royalty should ever have to stay. (By her standards anyways). She hated being confined to the small chamber, because of some stupid tradition.

The Princess sighed, and sat down on the window, that overlooked the town. She watched the men buzzing from booth to booth, like a bee in a field of flowers. Why weren't the women allowed to roam freely? Why were they thought of lower than men, and nothing more than slaves?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Slowly, she got up and sauntered over. The mood of the place didn't radiate much energy, so she went along with that. 

She opened the door, and on the other side was a girl about her age. She had long lavender hair, and carried some buckets full of water and some blankets.

"Yes?" Hikari asked.

"Um, I-I'm here t-to clean up the room, and s-see if you need anything", the girl replied.

The Princess opened the door all the way. "Please, come in."

Cautiously, the girl entered. She placed the buckets down, and began to change the blankets, while Kari watched.

Intrigued, Hikari went over to the girl. "So, what's your name?"

This caught her off guard. "M-my name is Miyako."

"Miyako", she repeated, "That's a nice name. My name is Hikari, but you can call me Kari."

The girl nodded, and continued to work.

"You don't need to worry about cleaning. Please, sit down."

"But won't your master be mad?" Miyako asked.

"Master? Ha! That's a funny one. I bet he wishes he was my master. We're just travelling together. He doesn't own me, or control me. He's a big jerk too."

Miyako was horrified at the Princess' words. "If he ever found out what you said, he could kill you!" 

"No, he couldn't. Like I said before, he is not my master. We come from a place where men do not rule women, and women do not rule men." Hikari explained.

"There are such places?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes. In fact, this is the only place where women are treated like this."

More shock spread over the girl's face. "But, we've always been told that women are always treated like this, wherever you go."

"Do not believe everything you hear. Those are lies."

Miyako looked down. "I wish I could go to such a place. I am owned here, so I do not have the right to leave. All women here are owned by men. They do not even consider us human."

"That's horrible……." Hikari said. A thought came to her, "We're leaving today. You could come with us!"

Miyako's face lit up, but then fell again. "My master would not let me go so easily. He paid too much for me to just let me go, or so he says."

"The I will pay for you. Of course, Takeru will be the one _really _paying, but it's all the same."

"Takeru?" she questioned.

"Oh, he's my…partner."

~*~

"Wha- How do you know?" Takeru asked, nervous.

"Like I said, I'm not a native to these parts. I've been around, and I've seen you before. You're Prince Takeru." the man replied.

Takeru became more uncomfortable.

The man smiled at his uneasiness. "I won't say anything, don't worry."

The Prince relaxed a little. "So, why do they hate royalty so much?"

"Oh, well, these people have their own set of rules. They believe that fighting is wrong, which isn't too bad, but they hate all those who engage in it. They believe that they are right, and that everyone else is wrong. Kind of sounds like a lot of people I know. It kind of makes sense, though. I mean, it's one of those unwritten rules of humanity. If someone is different than you in any way, you are supposed to hate them. I'm not saying I agree with that though."

Takeru nodded, letting his words soak in.

"By the way, my name is Daisuke."

Takeru only nodded again.

"So, what brings you here?" he asked the Prince, changing the subject.

"Our part of the country has been engaged in war, and we need reinforcements. We've been sent to get them." 

"That's quite the Princess you've got there." Dai commented, switching subjects again.

"What? No! She's a pain in the butt, a thorn in my side. She's annoying and opinionated. Her only purpose is to get on my nerves." 

Daisuke said nothing, only smiled.

"What brings you here?" Takeru asked, eager to get off the subject of the Princess. 

"I'm one of many mercenaries. That" he said pointing, "is Ken. The one beside him is Iori."

"Oh", was all the Prince said.

One of the servants came and brought his food, along with the water. While he was eating, the two others that Daisuke had pointed out came over. Ken was around their age, and Iori was slightly younger. Though he wasn't as old as the others, Iori could put up a good fight. This is what had made him well known around those parts.

"This him?" Ken asked Daisuke.

"Yep." he replied.

Takeru didn't like the way things were going, and began to get suspicious.

Dai chuckled. "To tell you the truth, we've known you were coming. We've also been waiting for you. I was just testing you earlier to see how well you can pick up a lie."

"Not very well, obviously", Iori stated.

Takeru ignored this remark.

"You're leaving today, I take it?" Ken asked. 

"Yeah. They'll kick us out if we don't."

He nodded.

Daisuke leaned back, "We're coming with you, by the way."

The Prince was a but uneasy about this. "How come?"

"Does it really matter?" Ken asked. "Besides, you should be glad that you have some extra warriors around."

Takeru didn't respond. He stood up, and grabbed some bread. "I'd better get his up to her, or she'll bite my head off."

"We'll be waiting by the front gait with the horses. Make haste." Dai said. The three mercenaries turned, and left.

Takeru headed up the stairs to the room. His mind was filled with many thoughts, as he opened the door. When he did, Miyako jumped up out of fright.

"It's alright", Hikari soothed.

"Who is this?" Takeru demanded.

"Does it matter? And by the way, she's coming with us. I don't care what you have to say about it. Here's the money. You're going to have to buy her from the innkeeper."

"Why are you going to waste the money on this?" he asked.

"LIKE I SAID, I DONO'T CARE WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT. BESIDES, IT'S NOT EVEN YOUR MONEY." she said, voice raised.

He grabbed the money hastily, and went out the door. He stopped just outside. "Coming?" he said, rather annoyed.

Hikari followed, with Miyako closely in tow. She was still overwhelmed by the whole situation. 

It took a bit of persuasion, but Takeru managed to convince the innkeeper to let Miyako go with them. He handed the gold to him, and they left to meet the others at the gate.

When they reached it, the three others noticed they had one more then expected.

"I thought there was only two of you." Dai stated.

"There was, but Kari decided that she wanted to bring a _friend _along." Takeru replied, still irritated. 

Miyako was still nervous. She was unaccustomed to being an equal, more or less, to the men. She had been raised in this community, and all she's ever known was that men were superior to women. 

"We'll need an extra horse then", Ken stated flatly.

"Leave that to me." Dai replied.

He walked over to the guard who had brought their horses, and began talking to him. Then guard then went to the stables, and immerged with a brown and white paint mare. Daisuke took it, and led it over to the others.

"We have to get out of here quick. This is the innkeeper's horse, and if we get caught, we're all dead." He explained.

"Then, how did you get it in the first place?" Kari asked him.

He smiled triumphantly, "Oh, my dear, I have my methods of persuasion."

The Princess nodded, and mounted her mare. Miyako had never ridden before, so se would have to be taught. Hikari gave her a few pointers, and they were off. The group went out the front, as to avoid the gaze of anyone who would recognize the horse. Ken and Iori rode in front, Takeru slightly behind them. Miyako was in the middle, and Daisuke and Hikari brought up the rear. 

They finished their trek through the gloomy forest, and opened out onto more plains. This time, there were more rocks and trees than before. 

The six of them rode until just after dusk, when they decided to make camp. The horses were tied to some trees, and they took shelter under some rocks. 

Hikari was glad to have some company other than that of Takeru. She still didn't know why she hated him, but that wasn't significant in her life. 

Takeru, on the other hand, was not as happy as she was. He hated to admit it, but he had liked it when it was just the two of them. He also noticed that one of the mercenaries, Daisuke, was spending a lot of time with the Princess. The Prince didn't know why, but it bothered him. 

That night, Miyako and Hikari slept by the horses, and the men slept on the other side. 

~*~

Once again, a shadow loomed above. It circled around the group, and landed by some rocks. Tallow and Erowin were the first to see this, but did nothing. They merely watched it curiously. 

The other horses, however, were alarmed. They first pulled on the reins to get away, but that did nothing. They started to scream in fright. This woke the others. A panic was sent through the group, as they wondered what was going on.


	5. A Ferocious Beast

Angel of Light: Next chapter's up! Sorry it's taken so long, I've been very busy. *to Cody* See? You're in another one. 

"What's going on?" the Princess panicked. She was talking to no one in particular. 

"There's something out there!" Daisuke replied.

Above, the shadow flew back and forth. It was heading right for the Prince, but he was occupied with calming the horses. The horses saw it, and panicked more. One of them, Daisuke's, lashed out with its hind legs, and sent the boy flying. He landed unconscious, right in the path of the beast. 

The monster, however, flew over him. The others watched worriedly as it hovered over the horses. With a strike of its clawed hand, the roped were severed. Immediately, four of the horses shot off to no where in particular. They just wanted to get away.

However, Tallow and Erowin stood under it, watching with curious eyes. Kari was too stunned to do anything, and watched. Surely this was going to be the end of her beloved mare. She shouted at it to run, but the mare only flicked her ears towards her, then back to the creature that was hovering over the two. 

The beast was surprisingly quiet. The only sound that could be heard was the faint beat of its wings. 

A rustle in the bushes caught everyone's attention. A low grumble came from the monster, as it rose into the sky. Tallow and Erowin moved quietly out of the way. The beast fixed its eyes on whatever was there. 

The group had huddled together, all except Takeru, who was still lying on the ground. Kari couldn't help but feel a pang of remorse, from leaving him there. They were all waiting for what would happen next. 

The rustling in the bushes stopped, and the beast relaxed. It flew down to where the two horses were standing. It looked over them, eyeing them curiously. It took a few steps towards them, and they did not move. It reached out with one arm. Still, they did not move.

Just as it was about to touch Tallow, something else dashed out from the bushes. It ran strait at Takeru, snarling hungrily. He beast turned, and pounced on the thing. Snarling and the gnashing of teeth could be heard. 

The little group stood, stunned. Hikari recognized the other creature. Though it was dark, and details were hidden, she could tell that it was one of those wild bears. It was bigger than the one that she had seen dead, back on the forest floor. In fact, it looked twice as big, and twice as dangerous.

The bear howled with pain when the creature slashed its side. The thing bit deep into the bear's neck, and shook it violently. It fell limp in its mouth. 

Satisfied, the creature dropped it. 

The group watched with astonishment, as the creature pranced back to the horses, with its head held high. It sat itself down in front of them, much like a dog would to its master. 

At this point, the Prince was beginning to wake. He stirred and groaned slightly, and rubbed his head. Slowly, he sat up.

"Wha-what's going on?" He asked groggily.

Everyone was too stunned to do anything. 

He sat up, and stared at them. He couldn't believe that they wouldn't bother to help him. He was royalty, after all. Just as he was about to tell them off, he realized that they hadn't even noticed he was up. He also noticed that there was something that was keeping their attention. He diverted his gaze to where theirs was, and almost fainted again.

There, in front of him, was a massive red dragon. It was crouching over him, like a tiger would, and its tongue was hanging out. Its massive tail was wagging back and forth, and its lips were curled up into a goofy smile. 

He blinked a few timed, then fainted.

The dragon's face fell, and it lowered its head to sniff him. It nudged the boy, trying to wake him up. 

Getting frustrated, it bounded over to where the others were. It wore that same goofy smile that it had before. 

All but the Princess ran. She was too astonished to do anything. 

She stared up at the dragon, and it stared down at her. It cocked its head in a curious manner, which was quite comical. It brought its head down, so its nose was directly in Kari's face. 

"W-well hello t-to you t-too…." she said nervously.

The dragon's smile grew bigger, and it bounced around in a circle. When it returned, it stuck its nose in her face again.

The Princess only stared back this time, not knowing what to do.

Once again, Takeru started to wake.

As soon as the dragon heard the slightest noise from him, it bounded over to him. It began to lick him, covering him with slobber.

"Ew, gross!" he exclaimed. "What is this?"

"Um, it's a ferocious dragon?" Kari replied.

"Ferocious my butt", Ken commented.

The dragon finally stopped giving Takeru his long needed bath, and sat back on its haunches. It looked over to the two horses, and wagged its tail. 

The Prince managed to get up. He looked over the thing. It was a dragon, not massive, but not tiny. It was obvious that it was a male, for he had always been told that only the males come in red. He had also been told that dragons are a thing of myth, but that was another matter at the moment. Its scales shone like fire in the dim light, as the sun was just peering over the horizon. Black spikes that began at his head, went down his body. They got gradually larger, then shrunk again as they progressed down his body, only ceasing at the tip of his tail. His wings were massive in proportions to his body, and had a black thorn at the top. Leathery skin of a scarlet hue was stretched across two pieces of bone. The dragon had olden armour on its chest and legs. A huge emerald was on its front, while smaller sapphires were on the leg pieces. Pure white pearls lined the edges of the armour. 

All together, the dragon was a magnificent sight. It could have passed for ferocious, if it hadn't acted so much like a dog. 

Slowly, the group began to spread out. 

"I take it that it's friendly?" Miyako asked timidly.

"I guess so……" answered Hikari.

There was silence as they stared at the thing. It had curled up in a ball, and had fallen asleep. It looked more like a helpless baby, than a dragon. 

Hikari let out a deep breath, and collapsed on the ground.

"Are you alright, my Princess?" Daisuke asked, coming up behind her.

She placed her head in her hands, and replied, "Yeah, just a little stunned at the moment."

He placed an arm around her, "It's alright, we all are."

Takeru saw this, and felt anger burning in his chest. He wasn't sure why though. Maybe it was because the Princess was getting attention, and he wasn't. Maybe it was because he had been through more than her, and he felt _he_ needed comforting, not her. Or maybe, it was that he was jealous. 

The Prince ignored this, and walked to his mount. 

"We'd better get a move on." he said through clenched teeth. 

"How do you suppose we do that, Mr. Smarty pants." It was of course, the princess who had said this.

Takeru opened his mouth to reply, but noticed she had a point. All but four of the horses had run away. It was Ken and Iori's horses. 

"They'll use he dragon", he replied.

"Are you nuts? We don't know what that thing could do!" She argued.

"Fine then, would you rather have one of them ride with you? Besides, this thing'll follow us anyways."

"And what makes you say that?"

"It's followed us this far, hasn't it?" he retorted.

"How do you know that?" She asked snidely.

"Come on, you're a smart girl, you figure it out."

"You're not going to tell me, BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW!" 

"I just can't be bothered with you right now." After he said this, he mounted Tallow. "I honestly don't care whether they come or not. Ride the dragon, or stay here. I'm _not _wasting my time looking for a bunch of useless horses. There are more things at stake here than most of you know." 

Hikari glared at him, but said nothing. She too mounted her horse. 

Sensing that something was going on, the dragon woke up. It looked at Takeru with expecting eyes.

"You're going to carry some of us." he said simply. He urged Tallow on at the walk. 

The dragon continued to watch him, then turned o the others. Daisuke and Miyako had mounted, and Ken and Iori were looking at him. Putting the pieces together, he picked them up, and placed them on his back. He acted stupid, but really wasn't. 

Pretty soon, the group was once again on the move. 

Angel of Light: Sorry if this chapter was kind of short and boring, but I needed to have this one in there. Don't worry, it'll get better! TtFn!


	6. Another Ferocious Beast

Angel of Light: Stupid computer……deleted my story again……..

The group wandered on. Most of the journey had been made in silence; save for the few words that had been exchanged between Daisuke and the Princess. 

They were coming up onto a ridge, where they would be able to see what lie ahead of them. 

Takeru, who was in front, stopped at it. His eyes scanned the area. Below him, was a deep canyon. The bottom was rock, or it seemed to be from so high up. He looked up to across the canyon, and saw a marsh. A thick mist hung in the air, and the sun didn't reach those parts. The fog was much thinner on their side of the canyon. 

Soon, the others came up behind him. The Prince didn't move, and his face was emotionless, and gave no indication to what he was thinking. 

The dragon landed with a thump, causing the ground to shake slightly. A few stones and pebbles feel deep in to the abyss. 

"We'll rest here for the night", was all he said. 

The others looked at him, and wondered why he was acting so strange. Sure, he was cold and a little antisocial, but he wasn't usually like this. Even Hikari thought there was something wrong with him. 

After tying his horse, the Prince went off into the forest. He told the others that he would be back, and to stay there. However, one did not listen. The dragon, who had taken quite a liking to him, followed him.

Takeru stopped. "I thought I told you to stay behind." he said flatly.

The dragon just looked at him. The creature's tongue lolled out of its mouth, and it panted happily. Its tail wagged back and forth, taking out a few trees.

"Look, I don't want you here." he told it, bluntly.

Immediately, the dragon's tongue went back into its mouth, and its face fell. Its tail stopped wagging, and it had a sad puppy dog look in its eyes. It whimpered and whined.

The Prince sighed, "Alright, alright. I guess it's not like you can talk or anything…."

The dragon immediately became happy once more, and bounded after the Prince.

~*~

Back at the camp, things were going pretty well. Daisuke had managed to light a fire, and they cooked some of the food they had. He sat close to the Princess, who was chatting lightly with Miyako. Ken widdled away with his knife and some wood, while Iori poked at the fire. 

"What's it like being royalty?" Miyako asked the Princess.

"Well, like everything, it has its ups and downs." she replied.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. It's nice because you can have everything you've ever wanted, well, most things, and you don't have to worry about much…..I will later of course, but not for now. I pretty much get to do what I want as well. The downs are that there are many rules that I have to follow. I'm not allowed to talk to too many people, unless my parents know of them. They don't want me getting kidnapped or anything like that. I'm not allowed to fight, like a knight does, because I'm a girl. I think the worst is that because I can have everything, I have no room left to dream…."

"Sometimes I dream of being royalty. I never tell anyone though, because they'll all laugh."

"Sometimes, I pretend to be one of the villagers. Of course, I get in trouble when I do…"

Miyako chuckled slightly. "I never would have thought that someone with so much would want to give it all up."

Kari smiled, "You aren't royalty."

"And you aren't a peasant." She shot back.

"I guess we're even than." 

The two looked at the fire, mesmerized by the flicker of the flames. 

"Why do you act so cold towards the Prince?" Miyako asked.

Hikari was silent. "I, I don't know, to tell you the truth. I just do, I guess."

"That's no reason to hate someone." 

"I know it's a bad excuse, but it's always been like that. We just, didn't hit it off very well."

"I'm sure you must care about him in some way. I mean, you should have seen the look on your face when he was knocked out. You were genuinely frightened for him."

Hikari looked at the girl with astonishment. "Me? Care about _him?_ No, you've got it _all _wrong. I'd rather die than even think about caring for him."

"Why?"

"Would you stop with the questions?!"

Miyako put her head down sheepishly, "Sorry."

Hikari sighed, "No, don't be. You have a point there. To tell you the truth, I really don't have an answer for that one…."

"If you ask me, I'd say that he cares about you, a lot more than he's letting on."

The Princess laughed, "No. He couldn't care about anyone if his life depended on it."

~*~

Prince Takeru sat on a rock by the edge of a small brook, looking down at his reflection in the water. A million things were going through his mind, and his head was spinning. He just needed to get away from everyone, and find some peace and quiet by himself. He was confused. His life had been so simple before this journey, and now the perfect puzzle had been scrambled, and it was hard to put them back. Some of them even looked different. 

He took a deep breath. 

Behind him, the dragon was waiting patiently. The Prince had to admit, the thing was pretty good company. He'd rather him than any of the others. 

For some reason, he'd liked it better when he was alone with the Princess. He couldn't figure out why, but that's just how he felt. He didn't really pay any mind to Iori and Ken, and Miyako wasn't all that bad either, but Daisuke was another matter. He didn't like the man, but couldn't think of why he did. There was something in his eyes that he didn't like. Another thing was that he was far too attached to the Princess, and she seemed to be growing fond of him.

That thought caused Takeru to slap the water. He was surprised at his own outburst. He hated the Princess. 

His mind drifted to that for a moment. Why _did _he hate her? Was there any reasoning behind this feud? Or was it pointless? Maybe he hated her because she was the first not to show any interest in him, or maybe it was because she hated him back. But is that any reason to hate anyone? The prince shook these thoughts from his head. He didn't want to deal with these things right now. 

Slowly, he got up from his perch. Takeru figured that he'd best be getting back, as the others could be looking for him. He didn't move all that quickly though.

~*~

Hikari had lain down on the ground, and was also deep in thought. She was thinking of what she and Miyako had discussed earlier. Did she care for him? Was this hatred she felt really an act? 

A loud crash diverted her attention. She bolted upright, and noticed that things had become quiet, too quiet. 

The horses, once again, began to scream in terror. Normally, this wouldn't have alarmed her, but Tallow and Erowin were panicking as well. They never panicked. 

Quickly, she went ad untied her mare. She paused for a moment, thinking of whether or not to release the Prince's mount. She could keep it there, and make the Prince suffer, but it was a magnificent stallion, and she hated the Prince, not his horse. After thinking it over, she untied it. 

The others had also gotten up, and had started to investigate the premises. 

Just as things had begun to die down, trees could be heard, cracking and falling to the ground. Something was coming through, and they really didn't want to know what it was. 

~*~

Takeru heard the crash, and became alarmed. He picked up the pace, and ran through the forest. He tripped and fell a few times, as it was dark and tree roots were everywhere. He had to stop and think of where he was for a while, as to not lose his way. The dragon followed closely behind him. 

Finally, he reached the camp. Before him was a scene of mass chaos. Horses and people were running every which way and that. The Princess had gotten on her mount, and was trying to keep things under control. This was hard when there was a massive cave troll chasing you with a giant club. 

The giant troll roared at them, and swung its club at Hikari and her horse. Missing, he hit the ground, causing it to shake. For some reason, he was chasing only the Princess, and occasionally, his own mount. 

Acting only out of instincts, he ran to grab Tallow. The stallion stopped, and allowed him to get on. Considering the circumstances, he was still very calm. He dashed off after the troll, sword drawn and ready to taste blood.

They ran; troll chasing mare, and stallion chasing troll. They managed to lead it a ways away from the group. 

Erowin halted to an immediate stop as they came upon the canyon's edge. The troll stopped too. It raised its club, ready to smash them both to pulp. It brought it down, but missed. Some rocks tumbled into the deep fissure. There was a sharp pain in its shoulder. The beast wheeled around, and found the Prince, with his sword in its back. The stallion had run around to its front. 

The troll flung the Prince towards the others, barely missing the steep edge. He was out cold.

"TAKERU!" the Princess yelled. There was genuine fear in her voice. It was partly for him, and partly for herself. 

She turned back to it. They were completely cornered. This was the end. With a devious grin on its face, the troll brought the club up once more. With a bang, he smashed it down again, but missed once more. 

Hikari watched as time froze. The troll stood, eyes wide. Her eyes travelled down to its midriff, and saw a small point through its stomach. She looked up once more to see Daisuke clinging to its back. 

He jumped away, and the creature fell.

The Princess was overcome with joy, but that was short lived.

The cave troll fell with a mighty thud, causing the ground to crumble. Takeru began to slowly slide off the cliff, still unconscious. Hikari didn't notice, for she was trying to save herself. The mare was scrambling, feet trying desperately to find ground, but finding none. 

The black stallion let out a glass shattering cry as he fell. The Prince too, had fallen. Soon, Hikari found herself trying to clamber of the horse, in order to save herself, but it was no use. He four of them went tumbling off the cliff.


	7. The Bet

Angel of Light: Okay, I've made precautions, so my computer won't delete it this time!

Cody: It took you five times to figure it out?

Angel of Light: I forget things fast….

Cody: I guess she has an excuse….being a blonde and all…

Angel of Light:…….hey!

Daisuke stared over the cliff, watching their bodies become smaller and smaller, until fading away altogether. Still dazed from battle, he sat down on the ground.

At that moment, Miyako, Ken and Iori came running over.

"Where is the Princess?!" she shrieked.

"…She and the Prince fell over the cliff…I'm sorry." He told her.

"WHAT?! AND YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING? ARE THEY OKAY? WE HAVE TO FIND THEM!"

"There's nothing I could do. The troll…it-it all happened so fast…I'm sorry…"

"Well then, what are we supposed to do?" asked Iori.

"I guess we'll have to go. There's no use staying here. We should go on without them." said Dai, standing up.

"NO! WE CAN'T JUST LEAVE THEM HERE!" Miyako panicked.

"Well, you _could _stay here, but, you saw that bear, and the dragon'll be coming with us. It's your call." Dai told her.

She looked over the ravine, and looked to the forest. The girl sighed. "Alright, I'll come…" she said reluctantly. 

The serpent looked over the edge. It let out a mournful cry, and turned with the others. 

*~*~*~*

Faster and faster they fell. Princess Hikari desperately clung to the mare's mane, but she felt her hands slipping. She looked over to see Prince Takeru falling too, still unconscious. Not far below him, was his mount.

She sifted her gaze to the ground. It was coming closer and closer. The river no longer looked like a mere stream, but was starting to look like a rushing torrent. Even if they landed in it, the current would sweep them away and eventually kill them. 

All she could do was close her eyes. She saw her life flash before her eyes. She saw herself as a child, plating with her brother. Going out for endless rides through the forest and across the plains. She saw herself running through the castle, hiding from her father. She saw- some thing occurred to her. She should have hit the ground, or the water.

Cautiously, she opened her eyes. What she saw astounded her. She was on the ground! She was still clutching the mare's mane. The stallion had his head bent down, and seemed to be looking over the Prince who was lying on the ground, also untouched.

Kari noticed something about the stallion that she had never noticed before. In the middle of his forehead, was a light blue star. Up through the top of that star, as silver horn spiralled to the sky. Her jaw dropped with amazement. Her gaze was then directed to her own mount. She felt like she would faint. On her horse too, was a star, except this one was a light pink. The same silvery horn protruded from her head. 

"Wh-wha?" was all the Princess could say. She as still in shock.

The stallion raised his head, and just looked at her with big, innocent blue eyes. 

The Princess just sat there, unable to move, face showing her astonishment. 

At this point, Takeru stated to stir. He was lying on his stomach, so he couldn't see what was going on. He wasn't aware of the change in his surroundings. 

"Ugh…" he groaned. "What's going on?"

Kari blinked, and came back down to Earth. Carefully, she slipped from the horses-er- unicorn's back, and stood by her head.

Takeru noticed that he wasn't the only one there, and realized who was with him. He became slightly annoyed.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on, or what?"

Though she was relieved that he was okay, she didn't show it. Partly because she didn't want him to know, and partly because she was still amazed at what had happened. 

"I-I'm not sure…" she replied.

"What do you mean 'you're not sure'?! I mean you-" he stopped short. He noticed the bewildered look on her face, and looked to her mount, and then to his.

"Oh…"

They stared at the unicorns, who stared right back at them. 

"D-did you know about this?" Takeru asked Kari.

"N-not until a few minutes ago."

A few more moment of silence passed. 

"I guess we should uh, make camp." he stated blankly.

Hikari nodded her head, almost too enthusiastically. 

~*~

Most of the night was spent in silence. Takeru had got most of his memory back, and gathered from what he saw from the girl's reaction, that they had fallen from the cliff. 

That night, something between the two of them changed. Maybe it was the fact that they had been spared from being so close to death, or maybe it was just the fact that the two horses were more than they appeared to be. Still, something was different. 

~*~ 

Then again, maybe not. 

"It's too bad _she _had to fall too. She should've just stayed up there. She's more of a burden than a help. I don't know why she had to come in the first place…" He muttered. He seemed to be talking to the stallion. 

"I heard that." Kari shot back. 

He ignored her. 

"And to think I was actually _worried_ for him." Princess Kari said, before going down to the river's edge. 

The Prince raised an eyebrow at this comment. _'She was worried? About ME?'_ he thought. He turned around, and looked for her. He spotted her by the river's edge. She had found a small clearing, and looked like she was attempting to fish. She had thrown her overcoat in the riverbank. She really didn't look too much like a princess anymore. 

Try as she might, Kari couldn't catch a fish. She had a sharpened stick, and was stabbing the water. She managed to spear one, but it wriggled off the end of it just as she was going to put it on land. 

Takeru had to stifle some laughter as he watched her. He had to give her points for trying, though. 

Frustrated, she threw the stick down. Little did the Prince know, but those words that he had said earlier had hurt her more than he could imagine. Kari sat down on the riverbank, not caring that it was muddy. She pulled her knees up to her chest, and watched the fish swim by, as if taunting her. 

Kari's mind began to race with a million things. What Takeru had said earlier was not new to her. In fact, it was quite familiar. 

__

'He's right', she thought, _'I don't even know why Father made me come. I'm of no use. He just wanted to get rid of me, so I wouldn't get in the way. Instead, I'm getting in the way here. It's my fault we fell over. It's my fault he's hurt. No matter how much I hate him, it was still my fault. Taichi is the only one who ever believed in me…and I'm beginning to think that it was only out of pity for me…'_

A small tear threatened to come out, but she blinked it back. She wasn't about to give him another advantage.

Takeru watched her, and finally decided he'd go over. "You're never going to catch anything if you just sit there. Fish don't just leap out of the water into your hands you know." He said this with a taunting edge in his voice.

"I'm not stupid."

"You could have fooled me." he remarked, almost putting his foot in his mouth.

Hikari shot him a death glare, and stood up. In a huff, she stomped over to where Erowin was standing. She lifted herself onto the unicorn's back.

"What are you doing?" He called out while following.

"We've wasted enough time here already, so, I'm going."

"Not alone, you're not."

"Oh?" she asked. She had a feeling he would come, but wanted to know why.

"Because you couldn't survive a day out here on your own. You'd get mauled by one of those bears in a second."

She looked hurt by this. A look of determination soon replaced that. 

"You just don't want me to go, because you're afraid for yourself!" she shot back. 

"Ha! You only wish. The only reason you're still alive is because of me!"

She thought about this for a second, "No it's not. We _both _wouldn't have made it if it weren't for the unicorns, now would we?"

Takeru was silent.

She smirked triumphantly.

"Still, that troll would have killed you, if I hadn't have come!" he finally shot back.

"Daisuke saved me -and you- from that! You were no good at all! That thing knocked you out in a matter of moments."

"And you didn't do a thing. You just pulled that 'damsel in distress' stunt. The truth is, you can't do anything yourself. You have to have everyone do things _for _you."

"That's not true!" she said defensively, though the more she thought about it, the truer it became. 

The two just stood for a moment, glaring at each other.

Takeru threw his hands in the air. "That's it, I can't take it anymore. I'm going on alone!" 

"Fine." For once, they agreed on something.

The Prince was walking to his mount, when he thought of something. He stopped, and turned back to the Princess.

"We'll make a bet out of this."

She too turned to him. "Alright, you have my interest."

"If I get to the destination first, and you arrive later, you have to do whatever I say until the war is over. If you don't arrive, I'll make up some story about how a troll got you, despite my efforts. The same goes for you."

"That's fine with me. But I'm warning you, you'd better get ready for some intense humiliation. Maybe you should take this time to prepare for it." she taunted.

"In your dreams, Princess."

She didn't say anything. Instead, she went off. She knew where she was to go, because she had travelled this way before with her father. They also had some maps. Though she was happy that she would finally be able to prove herself, she had a small feeling of remorse inside her. Kari was almost reluctant in leaving. There was also something else that bothered her, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

~*~

Prince Takeru got some things together, and mounted the stallion. He went off in the same general direction as Kari did, but took a slightly different route. He too felt that he would have been better off with her, and almost felt bad for leaving her. 

As he rode, he found that his thoughts drifted to the Princess a lot. He had to admit she was beautiful, but he'd never say that to her face. Too bad she didn't have a personality to match. He shook his head, and sighed. He too had a bad feeling, but chose to ignore it. 

*~*~*~*

An ominous dark shadow loomed overhead. The day was beginning to grow old, so neither of them noticed. A malevolent laughter rung through the plains, but it was inaudible to human ears. 

From atop a far mountain, the pounding of hoof beats could be heard, thundering through the pass. The riders seemed to move as one black mass, inching towards the path of the royals.

__


	8. More Strange Encounters

Angel of Light: Okay…let's see if we can get to 20 reviews! I know it's a lot, but…I'd really like to see more for this story. 

Cody: I think you're forgetting something.

Angel of Light: No, this time I'm sure I'm not.

Cody: Yes, you are. I guarantee it.

Angel of Light: …Oh ya…hehe…forgot…

Cody: I know.

Angel of Light: Shut up. Anyways, I remember! Thank you SOO MUCH to all of you who have reviewed! It really means a lot to me. Seriously.

It was now the dead of night. The sky was cloudless, and the moon reflected eerily off the mare's pale coat. The stars littered the sky like tiny white diamonds. On either side of them, the mountains stood, making it seem darker. The forest was well behind them now, only a strip of trees on the horizon. A few small animals scurried across the ground. Most of the creatures had long since fled the land, and no one knew why.

Princess Hikari rode across the plains at a smooth, paced canter. She was utterly alone. All that she had with her was the pack that she had brought from the start. In the pack, there was some food. There was only enough food for three meals a day for three days, so she had to ration it. 

Kari's mind was everywhere but her current situation. She was thinking about the bet that had been made between her and the Prince. There was no way on this green Earth that she could let him win. The consequences didn't seem all that bad, but he could make them worse. 

__

'I have to get there first', she thought. _'This is so much more to me than it will ever be to him. No one believes in me, I have to prove myself. Sure, they don't hate me; they just think I can't do anything for myself. That's why he had to come with me, because they didn't think I could do it. I'll show them, I'll prove them wrong.'_

With a spur of determination, she pushed the mare forward into a gallop.

*~*~*~*

Takeru was still heading through the forest. He decided that it would be a faster route, even though he wouldn't be able to keep a steady pace. 

The forest was full of trees, both dead and living. He kept Tallow at a brisk walk most of the time, but occasionally he went up to the trot and canter. An owl hooted from somewhere deep within the heart of the forest, though the sound carried and it sounded as if it were right above him. Every once and a while he would catch a glimpse of a small animal, probably a squirrel, scurrying up a tree. He also thought he caught site of what looked to be a deer bounding away from him, and into the trees. The moonlight bounced lightly off the leaves of the trees, leaving thousands of ghosts to watch them. 

The Prince shivered as he looked around. There was nothing abnormal about this night that could be seen, anyways. There was a feeling about, but it seemed that none of the creatures had picked up on it. The wind whispered through the trees, sending a shiver through his body. He still couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. For good or bad, he wasn't sure. 

Suddenly, everything went black. The unicorn's ears shot forward, and he became antsy. He snorted and weaved a little. His head was up and back. He was alert. 

Just as soon as it had come, the shadow passed. Takeru wished now more than ever that he hadn't of gone off by himself. Not wanting to stay in that place any longer, he pushed forward. 

*~*~*~*

Quickly and stealthily, the shadow passed through the sky. It had its directives, and nothing would stop it from fulfilling them. It glided over the forest, and it weaved through the mountains. It hovered over the ominous dark riders that headed down the mountain. It seemed to conceal them, as they were camouflaged beneath its shady wings. They waited for their quarry to arrive.

*~*~*~*

Hikari also noticed the shadow, and she too stopped. Erowin halted dead. The white's of her eyes were showing, and she let out a high-pitched scream. Hikari froze, not knowing what to do. Soon, the shadow passed. 

The unicorn calmed a little, but wasn't as calm as she was before. The Princess urged the mare into a faster gallop, afraid of staying too long in one place. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to leave on her own. She had to wonder what the Prince was doing, and if he was any better off than she was. She hoped that he wasn't, but a part of her also hoped that he was. 

Up ahead of her, was the forest yet again. She had been riding a long time, and was beginning to wonder when the day would come. To her, it seemed that it should have been day already, but she couldn't be too sure. She took a glance up, and the moon wasn't there. There were no stars, and no clouds. Just an inky blackness. This made her wonder. Still, she pressed on towards the forest.

*~*~*~*

Prince Takeru was beginning to wonder when the forest would end. It seemed to go on forever. The forest didn't get any thinner, in fact, just the opposite. It was getting denser with each stride. 

The sight before his eyes startled him. What he saw, or rather, what he didn't see, made him seriously want to turn back. The closed his eyes and shook his head, but it was the same. The trees disappeared into an inky blackness, like a black hole, where you go in, but you never come out. 

As he entered the blackness, the stallion stopped, causing Takeru to be thrown up the neck. He quickly recovered, and patted the unicorn's neck. 

Tallow wasn't paying attention. His eyes were fixed up ahead, though there was nothing that Takeru could see. He could feel the stallion's body quivering beneath him. As much as he pushed and coaxed, he would not budge. There was nothing that could make Tallow go in there, _nothing_.

*~*~*~*

They reached the edge of the forest. Kari slowed the mare down to a walk. They went cautiously into the forest. There was something brewing in there, and she wanted to get away as soon as possible. 

A snapping twig caught her attention. Her head shot around to where the sound was coming from. There was no movement before her eyes. Deciding to ignore it, she went on.

Erowin danced and twitched as she walked. This made Kari even more nervous, because Erowin never reacted to _anything_. 

Another twig snapped. This time she was convinced that someone, or something, was there. 

"Wh-who's there?" she called out. 

Silence was the only reply. 

"I know that s-someone's there…"

Again, there was silence.

"Takeru, if that's you, I swear you're a dead man."

No reply. 

"Okay, T.K., I admit, you've got me terrified. Now please, stop it right now…you're scaring me…"

All she could hear was the sound of her own breathing. 

She heard the snorting of a horse, and then saw a shadow. She strained her eyes to see, but all she could make out was what looked to be a person, wearing a hood, on a dark horse. She was convinced that it was the Prince playing with her mind.

"Alright Takeru, this isn't funny any more. Come out, and we'll go. Please, just stop." She was now pleading desperately.

Finally, he stepped out.

She let out a sigh of relief, put her pulse was still racing. "C'mon, let's go."

The unicorn would not move. She was looking at him, wide eyed with fear. Hikari couldn't understand what was going on. "Erowin, what are you doing?" she asked.

Her reply was another scream. This time, the unicorn reared up, and lashed out with her front hooves. Kari clung desperately to the saddle to stay on. After, Erowin wheeled around, and bolted. The princess never knew she could run so fast. 

Kari was confused, but didn't try to stop her. She knew the unicorn had a reason to be scared, though she didn't know what it was. Obviously, that was _not _the Prince. 

Quickly, she took a glance backwards. What she saw scared her out of her wits. Behind them, was not one, but three riders. They were running after them. 

She turned around, and urged the mare more. An arrow whizzed passed her head. 

Faster and faster they went, never stopping.

*~*~*~*

Tallow's ears swivelled around when he heard Erowin's shrill cry. T.K. had heard it too. Even though the stallion was still scared stiff, he went forwards. 

The Prince was actually _worried _about the well being of the Princess. Though he would have rather of left her, something drove him on. They raced through the trees, leaping over fallen logs and roots. There was no stopping them.

It started to rain a little, but the leaves of the trees stopped the water from soaking the ground. This only worked until the rain began to come down in torrents. The ground became muddy and slippery. Vision was blurred, but they pressed on just the same. Mud splashed up, covering the two in a brown muck.

*~*~*~*

Erowin was still running, blind with fright. Somehow, she managed to navigate through the forest pretty well, picking her footing carefully. 

With all of the running, the mare began to tire. Kari looked back, and their pursuers were getting closer, and things were beginning to seem hopeless. Through all of this, she pressed the mare on, fearing for her life. 

Erowin started to slip and slide. Her once flawlessly white coat was now splattered with mud. Kari had to rub her eyes, ad the mud was splashing in her face. 

Once again, memories flashed before her. It seemed as though this would be the end. There was no hope left. 

Things were looking really bad for the Princess. Things really couldn't get any worse. But, as fate would have it, they did. The unicorn took a wrong step, and slipped. The two came crashing to the ground. An arrow flew through the air, and embedded itself into Erowin's shoulder. Kari was thrown into the bushes. She lay motionlessly, waiting for them to catch up. 

Erowin scrambled to her feet. Blood trickled slowly from her shoulder. She saw where the Princess had landed. Her only purpose was to protect her. Knowing that she wouldn't be going anywhere, Erowin ran. She ran in hopes that they would follow her, and they did. 

Farther and farther away from the Princess she ran, only having hope on her side, even though there seemed to be none. Finally, she couldn't take it any more. She stumbled once more, but kept going. She stumbled again, and couldn't get up.

The riders came up behind her, and saw her. They looked over her body, and around her.

"Ssssearch here…" one said in a raspy voice. "Leave hhherrrr, sssssshe's deeeaad."

The three of them split up, and searched the area. The one that seemed to be the leader stopped searching. He had a suspicion, and he was going to act on it. He went back to the spot where the mare had initially fallen. He noticed something that he hadn't seen before in the bushed. He hopped off, and cleared the bushes. A sinister smile crossed his face. There in front of him, was the Princess.

He drew his sword, and raised it over his head. He was about to strike.

Takeru raced through, and saw him there. He didn't see what was below him, but assumed that he should attack anyways. 

As Tallow ran by, he leapt off, and tackled the thing. They went sprawling off, and rolled across the ground. Takeru whipped out his sword, and jumped up. This began an intense battle.

Hikari had been thrown unconscious, and was just starting to wake up. She wasn't totally coherent, and her vision was blurred. All that she saw before her was the shapes of two fighting figures, both covered in mud. She heard the clanging of metal on metal, and the thud of bodies on the ground. A few groans and shouts could be heard as metal met clash. As things became clearer, she could make out that one of them was one of the things that had been chasing her, and the other was…Takeru. She was surprised that he had come. She wasn't sure what to think, as there was no time. All she heard was the pained cry of a man, and then the thud of something crashing to the ground. 


	9. Close Calls

Angel of Light: This will be the last chapter for about a month… I'm going to be at camp for about a month, and I'll have no access to a computer. I'll update as soon as I get back! Sorry…but don't worry, I'm not abandoning you!

Hikari looked over through the trees. She saw the shape of a man standing there, and another on the ground. She couldn't tell which one was which. After a few moments, the one that had been standing wasn't standing anymore. He too had fallen to the ground. 

Stunned and scared stiff, Kari slowly stood up. Her hair was strewn with mud and grass, and was plastered to her forehead. Her cloak was torn and tattered, and was also covered in mud. She was filthy, and her body ached all over. Being thrown from a galloping unicorn and then landing in a pile of bushes didn't really do much good for the body. What made things worse, was that the branches were like thorns, and pierced her flesh. Scabs started to form as the blood dried. 

The Princess looked at the two bodies lying motionless on the ground. She hoped that the Prince was alright. She wasn't sure which one he was, and was scared to find out. Deciding that she had no other choice, she slowly stumbled over to where the battle had taken place. She also had to wonder what had happened to the horses.

For a fleeting moment, her thoughts dashed to Erowin. She had no clue what became of the unicorn mare. But that was the least of her worries, for the moment. 

After falling a few times, she was able to make it to the two of them. The rain was still pouring down in buckets on them, and the water flowed in little streams at her feet. She couldn't see the details yet; it was still too dark. 

The sound of laboured breathing caught her attention, which meant that _one of them was still alive?_

Questions raced through her mind. Which one was alive? Alive for how much longer? Should she run? Stay and help? 

She thought of running, in case it was the other that had survived, but what if it was Takeru who was alive? She couldn't just leave him. In the end, her overwhelming nature to help people, took over. 

Kari approached them cautiously. She came across the first body. She rolled it over. 

"AHHHHHH!" Her shrill scream pierced through the silence of the forest. She stared wide eyed at the face of the…the thing.

She couldn't call it human, but she didn't know _what _to call it. Its face was ghostly white. Its eyes weren't really there, just sockets. Its nose was crooked in a grotesque way, and its mouth hung open. It had no flesh, or so it seemed. The Princess looked down a little further, and noticed that there was a sword through its abdomen. 

Kari pulled back, and closed her eyes. She took a few moments to recover from what she had just seen. After recuperating, she stood up once more. Slowly, she made her way to what had to be the Prince. 

When she found him, he was lying face down in the mud. The rain poured down, plastering his hair and whatever cloth to his body. Blood covered his body, and trickled into the water that surrounded him. She looked over him to see if it was him that she had heard breathing. 

When he didn't move, tears formed in her eyes. She knew that he was the reason the he was dead. It was all her fault. 

Kari sat back, and leaned against a tree. For all she knew, Erowin was dead as well. And this was just _one _of the three that had been chasing her. All of a sudden, she was alone, and afraid. 

Her head sunk into her hands, and she began to sob. This whole mission was a failure, because of her. The kingdom would fall, they were all dead anyways. It was hopeless. At it was all her fault. 

~*~

Running, faster and faster. Never stopping, not even to rest. Tallow ran through the forest. Dawn was beginning to break. It had stopped raining. 

He found the clearing, where the mare was laying. He stopped. His fur was drenched, his main and tail dripping with water. He lowered his head, mournfully. He had run, hoping to lead them away, hoping to save them. The other two were gone, for now. 

The stallion nuzzled her gently. Getting no response, he backed up. He turned to head back to the forest. 

A snort forced him to turn his attention back. 

The mare looked back at him, with curious blue eyes. She tossed her head, snorted again, and stood up. She shook her whole body, and then bolted into the forest. Tallow wasn't far behind.

~*~

"Ugh…"

The groan caught her attention. She stopped sobbing, and looked up. Takeru was beginning to move. He was weak, and trying to push himself up. He hadn't realized that Hikari was watching him. 

Forgetting everything that she had ever felt for him, she ran over, and threw herself around his neck, causing him to fall back down. Once again, she broke out sobbing. 

Needless to say, the Prince was far beyond confused. He didn't know how to react to her sudden outburst. He had to admit, he wasn't about to object.

"Uh…"

She pulled away. "I'm sorry…" she whispered. 

"I-It's alright…" he replied, still stunned.

"Why did you do that?" she asked suddenly.

"Do what?"

"Save me."

"Well, I didn't exactly know it was you…"

"Oh…" He noticed that she looked a little disappointed at his answer.

"But I mean, I had a feeling it was, and I couldn't let you just die like that, I mean, if I wasn't around, I wouldn't pay any mind to it, but since I was, I figured I may as well rescue you."

She nodded lightly, not looking at him.

"It looks like you won the bet." she whispered.

"What do you mean? Neither of us have arrived yet, and it isn't over."

"I'm not going to make it. Besides, no one would care if I did."

He suddenly felt guilty. 

"Don't say that, it's not true."

Kari broke out crying again. "But it is!" she exclaimed.

"Why do you say that?" 

"Because I can't do anything. The only reason I'm here is because they wanted me out of the way. I thought I could prove…prove to my father, my brother, myself, and even…" she hesitated a little on this one, "…and even to you."

Takeru was shocked by her answer. "To me? But, why?" 

"Because, like everyone else, you thought I was worthless. At least, that's what you always said. I think that you're the only person that's ever said that to my face. I needed to prove it to you because, if I could do something that you couldn't, I thought that maybe I'd earn a little respect. I thought that maybe you'd admit that I was better at something. I became big headed, and prideful. It looks like that the only thing that got me was a hurt pride…not to mention a few physical scars as well. No one's going to miss me. You said yourself that you'd be better off without me. I know that you were right all along."

Prince Takeru was overcome with guilt and shame. He had no idea that she felt this way. 

"Well, you can think again, because I'm in no shape to go anywhere either. And if I was, I wouldn't be leaving you here. To tell you the truth…" he faded off.

Kari looked up at him, teary-eyed.

"…I only said those things because I thought that I needed to prove something to you."

She was visibly shocked by this.

"I'm not sure why, maybe it was the fact that you're the only Princess, or any girl for that matter, that wasn't always chasing me and harassing me. Maybe I felt that it wasn't fair, and even though I loathed it, I guess I felt that it wasn't right, that _everyone _had to like me. I know it was pure pride. I guess I'm just as guilty."

The two were engulfed in silence. 

"It looks like we've learned a lesson." Kari stated.

"What kind of lesson would that be?"

"That pride swallows people whole, then spits them out and leaves them to die."

He broke out into a small smile. Kari tired to resist smiling back, but didn't prevail.

"Still, I would have gotten there faster then you." she told him as-a-matter-of-factly.

"I don't think so. I was _way _ahead of you. I had to double back in order to save you."

"So you admit that you came back for me. I guess that means that you actually care about me."

His face was red, and he tried to hide it.

"Now, I _never _said that. Not in a million years would I care about _you_. I just felt sorry for you."

"You told me before that if I was in trouble, you wouldn't help. How do you explain that?"

He opened his mouth to retort, but Erowin dashed through the trees, with Tallow in tow. They were bloodied and bruised, but they were still the same old unicorns. 

Forgetting her pain, Kari stood up to greet the mare. 

"Ow!" she exclaimed while falling to the ground again. 

Prince Takeru refrained him self from reacting, in fear that she would think less of him. Is seemed that pride was still in the matter. 

The mare lowered her head, and nudged her urgently. She kneeled down on the ground, and Kari clamoured up. Quickly, the unicorn got up. 

Takeru managed to scramble up onto Tallow. Without giving them much time to get comfortable, they were off again. 

The two of them were slightly confused as to why they were in such a hurry to get out. That was soon answered. 

The two others things that had been chasing them, were after them once more. 

Desperately, they clung to the sopping manes of the unicorns. 

They were rapidly approaching a bridge that led across yet another ravine. The bridge was a rope one, and was only wide enough for them to go single file. 

Tallow and Takeru were in the lead. He was about to go across, when he stopped. Takeru motioned for the Princess to go ahead. He went in behind them. 

The bridge rocked and rattled as the two did their best to cross it. It was hard to go fast and keep balanced at the same time. Soon, the other two…things…were on the bridge behind them. They stomped across it, causing the bridge to shake, and making it even harder to cross. And with all the weight, it looked like the bridge would collapse. 

Kari was slowly drifting out of consciousness. The fall had taken more strain on her body than she had realized. Now, she was suffering for not resting. She tried to keep herself awake, but it was hard. She began to see double. But she wasn't about to show that she was in need of assistance. 

Finally, Erowin's hooves touched on solid ground. Tallow followed not long after. 

Turning his mount around, Takeru looked at the oncoming pursuers. He smiled evilly, and raised his sword. He slashed one of the ropes. 

There was a snapping sound, and the bridge was no longer under the hooves of the others. The two horses, and one of the things, went careening down the ravine. The other grabbed on to the rope, just in time. 

Its hood had fallen off, and for the first time, Takeru could see its face. He was almost too disgusted to move, but slashed the rope. The thing hissed at him, but didn't let go. The bridge was still intact on the other side, and it was left dangling there. The Prince couldn't look at it anymore. He felt that if he did, it would burn his eyes out. He'd never seen anything so hideous in his life. 

Prince Takeru turned around.

"Let's just hope there's another was across, for the return trip", he said jokingly.

But the Princess wasn't listening. The pain and tiredness finally overtook her, and she slipped into unconsciousness. She slid form the back of the unicorn, and landed on the ground with a soft thud. 

"Hikari!" Takeru exclaimed. He hopped off Tallow, and rushed over.

He rolled her over, and looked at her. He hadn't realized how much damage she had taken. The only thing he knew was that time was running out for them, and they had to find the kingdom quickly. Deciding that it was the best thing to do, he picked her up, and mounted the stallion. She as in no shape to ride by herself, as she wasn't even conscious. The Prince also knew that Erowin would follow. 

Takeru looked up. Before him, was a sight that he thought he would never see. Overcome with joy, he urged Tallow on as fast as he dared. As he predicted, Erowin followed. 

Ahead of them, was the place they were heading in the first place; the kingdom of Asterix. Tohuw wasn't far beyond that.


	10. Rest Stop

Angel of Light: _Let's get, emotional girls to all wear mood rings, so we'll be tipped off, to when they're ticked off. And we'll know just what they're thinking, just what they're thinking…_

Cody: _What_ are you doing?!?

Angel of Light: I'm singing! _She's so pretty, but she doesn't always act that way. Her moods out swinging on the swing set almost everyday. She said to me that she's so happy it's depressing, and all I said was someone get that girl a mood ring._

Cody: STOP! YOU'RE KILLING MY EARS! I DON'T THINK THE READERS ARE VERY HAPPY EITHER! *mutters* Geez, she's gone for a month, comes back and scares all the readers away!

Angel of Light: By the way, that song is 'mood rings' by Reliant K ((love those guys)). I don't own it.

Cody: I don't think they care. Just get on with the story.

Within minutes, Takeru and the unicorns had reached the city gates. He stared at then with awe as he took a moment to catch his breath. He didn't even notice when the guard started to talk to him.

"Hey, are you listening to me, young man?" The guard said after he noticed that the Prince was spaced out.

"Huh?" Takeru blushed slightly, "Oh, sorry. I'm listening now."

"As I said before, who are you, and why are you here?" The guard look suspiciously at him, as he noticed the girl in his arms. 

"I am Prince Takeru, and this is Princess Hikari…but she's slightly out of commission at the moment. We were attacked on our way here. I cannot state out business here, as that is for the King's ears only."

Still suspicious, the guard motioned for the others to open the gate. 

"Wait here. Don't move until I say so."

Takeru nodded understandingly.

Another man left on horseback, and returned a few minutes later. He whispered a few things to the guard that they had met first, and he turned back to them. 

"You will be escorted to the King's throne room. If you could please dismount, and follow me, the horses will be taken to the stables. Don't worry about them. Follow me." With that, he turned and left.

Prince Takeru dismounted quickly and quietly. With Kari in his arms, he followed the man. 

~*~

The Prince was led through the winding streets of the village. It was a lot longer then it really looked. Maybe it was because the road wound its way through the town, instead of going strait through. 

He watched as the people carried on with their lives, taking no mind to the newcomer, as if they were used to it. He was amazed at how similar this town was to the one in his own kingdom. He had to admit though; it was a nice change from the one they had past visited. He got shudders from the memories. 

Then, something hit him. What about the others who had been travelling with them? What had become of them? Not that he really liked them; just that he was worried what they might do. They all knew who they were, and what they were doing.

For a moment, he got mad at the Princess for blowing their cover, but then realized it wasn't all her fault. Seeing her so helpless in his arms made him feel differently towards her. Maybe she wasn't as bad as he had first thought. Maybe he was actually beginning to like her. Maybe he was…

His thought was interrupted by the soundings of a trumpet. Takeru looked up at the immense white walls before him. They had stopped in front of yet another gate. This too was opened for them, and they were led through. 

They passed through a courtyard, different, but very much the same to the one that surrounded his own castle. 

Finally, they reached the entrance to the castle. The drawbridge was lowered, and they went across into the front room. Up ahead, Takeru could see some more wooden doors. The King was behind these ones. 

At this point, Kari was beginning to come to.

"Ugh", she groaned, "where are we?"

"We're in the castle in Asterix. We're about to see the King." he whispered softly.

Her eyes shot wide with surprise. "What?!"

"Shh, it's alright. Just leave it to me."

"Ha." she smirked.

He only shook his head. 

Before either of them knew it, they were before King Philip, King of Asterix.

Philip looked down at the two. The boy, cloak tattered and torn, armour and shield dented and stained with the blood of who-knows-what. Sword broken and chipped, most likely dull by the looks of it. His hair was a mess, and he was covered in dirt. He looked like he hadn't bathed in days. 

The girl in his arms, looking worse than the boy who carried her. She was pale, and extremely thin. Her breath was laboured, and she had cuts and bruises strewn across her body. Her clothes were also torn and battered. She looked like she had been thrown multiple times, from some thing. He guessed that she couldn't walk, buy the fact that she wasn't. She also had a look of confusion and disarray on her face, like she had just woken up. Judging by the circumstances, she probably just had.

"You wanted to see me?" King Philip asked.

"Yes. I am Prince Takeru, and this is Princess Hikari, from out east."

The King pondered for a moment, and then his face lit up in recollection.

"Yes, I know your fathers. Now, what brings you all the way out here?"

"Well, I'm sure that you know of the war that has been forced upon us. I don't know what the situation is now, but when we left, it was pretty bad. I can only assume that it's gotten worse. 

"All of the kingdoms involved have banded together to make one massive army. It seemed to work for a while, but then the enemy just wouldn't fall in numbers. They seemed to multiply. Kill one, and five more would sprout up in its place. We began to fall in numbers." 

Very carefully, as not to cause the Princess any more pain than she was already in, she knelt down before the King. 

"The journey has been long and treacherous. If our kingdoms fall, I can guarantee that they'll move across the lands, and you will be attacked too. Please, if you could help us. We desperately need help. No one wants to lose their kingdom. I beg you to please have mercy on us, and send some troops to help."

King Philip looked down upon them. They were two lost children, in a war-torn land. They looked at him with pleading eyes, and he could not refuse. 

"I will send some troops."

The two were overcome with joy, and they hugged each other. Realizing this, Kari let go instantly, and let herself drop to the floor beside him. There was then an awkward silence that followed. The king only chuckled. 

"Come, you two look like you haven't eaten in weeks. I'll have a feast prepared for tonight. You can stay here as long as you wish."

"Oh, no, we can't stay" Hikari informed him.

"Why not?"

"Because we must go on to the Kingdom of Tohuw. We need all the help we can get."

"I'm afraid I can't let you. You two have taken enough beatings. In a coupe of days you-"

Kari cut him off. Despite her weakness, she stood up,

"NO! I can't let my kingdom fall. I can't lose what little I have left. If you won't let us leave, then we'll leave by force!"

The King noticed a fire in her eyes, and he admired her for her courage and passion for her kingdom. She also won the admiration of every other person in that room, including the Prince. 

The King sighed. "I'll tell you what. I still think that you are in no shape to go; therefore I will send a messenger out, so that you can rest. I am good friends with the King form there, and I'm sure he'll agree as well. You can stay here until the army is sent back. I can't tell you how long it will take, though. It all depends on the weather and such.

Kari collapsed to her knees, but looked up at the King.

"I cannot even begin to thank you for your kindness."

"To tell you the truth, if you weren't so young and reckless, I probably wouldn't have agreed. Also, I know that we would only end up fighting them in the near future, and it's better to fight in bigger numbers.

"A servant will show you to your rooms. I'll send someone to let you know when dinner is ready."

The two bowed, and were led off. 

~*~

They were taken to the second level, to where the guest rooms were. They weren't as nice as their own, but they would do. The two rooms were across from one another. 

Princess Hikari lay on the bed. It was like heaven. She had forgotten how comfortable a bed could really be. She had just gotten out from a hot bath, and was in an evening gown that the King had, from when his own daughter was her age. 

She felt a lot better, but her mind was still spinning. She went over and over the events that had just taken place. She couldn't believe that she was getting so close to the one person she hated most in this world. Kari couldn't understand _what_ she was feeling. Her emotions were scattered and strewn about, and it would take a million years just to get them back in order, or so it seemed. Her thoughts once again turned to the Prince. It seemed that her mind had been on him a lot lately. 

Princess Hikari sighed. Life was so complicated. 

A knock on the door disrupted her thoughts. She stared at it a moment, half expecting the Prince to just barge right in. It's what he always did. When the door didn't open, she got up off the bed, and slowly hobbled over. She was reminded of how much pain she was still in. 

Finally, she reached the door, and opened it. 

"It's time for dinner, m'lady." 

It was one of the King's servants. 

Kari smiled politely, and nodded. "I'll be right down."

The servant nodded, and left. The Princess closed the door, and sighed. She didn't feel like facing reality just yet, but she really had no choice. What would they think of her if she didn't show up? They'd think she was a rude snob.

Despite what she wanted, she opened the door once moor. She was given quite a fright when the servant was still standing at her door. This was something she was _not _expecting. After recovering, Kari figured that this was an escort. Great, now they were watching her every move.

The servant girl led the Princess down to the dining room. It seemed that everyone else was already there. She felt slightly embarrassed at being the last one, but she shrugged it off. She was much too tired to be bothered by such a thing. 

There was an empty chair beside the King, and across from Takeru. Assuming it was for her, she quietly sat down.

"Now that we're all here", the King announced, "We can eat."

Dinner was long and boring for Kari. She was tired, and couldn't think of much else but sleep. Her mind drifted to the war and her homeland. She wondered what was going on. She wondered if there was even anything left. This didn't help her situation at all. 

"My my, dear Princess, you don't look so good. Why don't you go up to bed? Maybe you'll feel better in the morning." King Philip told her. 

Kari nodded weakly, and stood up.

"Thank you for everything, your Majesty. The meal was wonderful." 

Slowly, she went back up to her room. 

Prince Takeru couldn't help but worry, but he shook these thoughts from his mind as he once again engaged in a conversation with the King. 

Not long after Kari had left, the others finished dinner. Takeru stayed a while longer to talk with the King before he left. He figured that it'd be good to establish a friendship with the King, instead of ignoring him. The Prince found himself annoyed with the Princess, and the fact that she hadn't said a word to anyone all dinner. He thought that this wasn't good for their relationship with the King. 

After the conversation was over, Takeru too went upstairs. He was about to go into his room, when he stopped and thought about the Princess. He really hadn't looked all that well when she left. Maybe she _did_ have an excuse for not talking. Sighing, he turned and went across the hall. Lightly, he knocked on her door.

Inside, Hikari heard a light tap. She didn't want to be bothered at the moment. She ignored it. 

The Prince knocked again. If she didn't answer, he'd go in. 

She heard it again, and got up. Instead of going to the door though, she went out on the balcony. If anyone asked, she could use the excuse 'I didn't hear it.' 

The Prince knocked once more, and waited. It then hit him that she wasn't going to answer. Slowly, he opened the door. He went in to see the Princess staring out into the city from the balcony. He paused a moment before approaching.

The princess heard the person enter, and was disgusted. _'Who in their right mind would barge in on someone like this?' _she really wasn't thinking strait. Hearing footsteps, she wheeled around, expecting to see a servant. Who she saw, of course, wasn't a servant.

"Oh, it's you."

"You don't seem all that happy to see me."

"You can't just barge in on someone like that, it's rude." she scolded.

"Well, I just did", he answered with a smirk.

Hikari rolled her eyes, and turned back around. She planned on ignoring whatever he had to say. 

Very quickly, her mind drifted. She watched the people in the courtyard, and in the markets beyond that. She watched as the crowd slowly trickled from the streets, leaving them completely abandoned. It amazed her how quickly this can happen.

"It's nice out tonight."

Kari turned and looked at the Prince. He had moved to just beside her on the balcony, and was looking out too. She gave him a disgusted look. 

He turned and looked at her, an innocent look on his face. "What?"

Something struck her as she stared at him. She noticed for the first time that his eyes were blue. They were piercing, but had a gentle look in them. There was also a mischievous look to them too. Nevertheless, they were captivating. She found herself unable to break the stare.

Her eyes widened as she realized what she was thinking. She quickly turned away. Heart beating fast, she tried to hide the pink tinge to her cheeks.

When their eyes had locked, the Prince noticed something about her too. No matter what a person does or how they act, the eyes always give away the true story. He noticed that they were brown, but had just a touch of crimson red to them. That wasn't really what struck him though. It was the emotion that they held. Her eyes looked more like those of a lost girl. Everything that she said, the show she put on, was just that. A show. They were full of sadness and worry. Now that he thought about it, she always looked to be on the verge of tears. 

"It'll be alright, you know. These Kings are very strong, and have incredible armies. The Dark Lord won't stand a chance."

Once again, he surprised her. This time, she didn't look at him. Instead, small tears began to form in her eyes. It seemed that he had found her out. Slowly, the small tears became bigger, and they streamed down her face. She had cried earlier, but not like this. That was out of shock, this was out of her true emotions. 

The Prince really didn't know what to do at this point. He was afraid of what she would do if he tried to comfort her. But, what did it matter to him what she thought? He didn't care, right? Still, he was afraid. 

After watching her sob for a few minutes, he couldn't take it. He couldn't watch her cry like this. She was torn and broken, and he was watching and letting it get worse. He turned to her, and wrapped his arms around her. For a moment she didn't react, but she then buried her face into him, and cried even more.

The two stood like that for a while, neither of them really knowing how long. But after a while, they parted. 

Still sniffling a little, she managed to say one thing. "Thanks." Though she wasn't looking at him.

"I should let you get some rest." Takeru told her, and then he left. 

Hikari stood there for a while, staring at the floor. Slowly, she then made her way to the bed, and fell into a deep sleep.

~*~

The Prince, on the other hand, couldn't find sleep sp easily. He was thinking about what had happened. He had a new respect for her, and he also…he didn't know. There was something there, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Finally, he too drifted to sleep.

Angel of Light: He, there's the next one. Sorry if it dragged out and got a little sappy…really. But, it was kind of important…right?

Cody: *to himself* At least she's not singing.

Angel of Light: *hears him, and starts singing* _mood ring, oh mood ring please tell me with you bring the key to unlock this mystery. Of girls and their emotions plat it back in slow-motion so that I may understand the complex infrastructure known as the female mind…_

Cody: AHHHHHHHHHHH!


	11. Getting Ready

Angel of Light: Okay! 

Cody: Okay…

Angel of Light: Yes…anyways…I'll be gone for…I don't know how long, maybe a week and a half, maybe two weeks.

Cody: And they care because…

Angel of Light: Because they are my adoring fans, and I'm just letting them know that I haven't abandoned them.

Cody: I wouldn't exactly call them 'adoring fans…'

The morning came too fast for Hikari. All she wanted to do was sleep, sleep, and sleep some more. A servant girl came in and woke her up, and informed her that breakfast would be in an hour. Hikari couldn't have cared less. 

The servant girl left, and Hikari lay in bed for a few more minutes. She finally rolled out of bed. She went to change, and noticed that she still had her clothes in from yesterday. She had fallen asleep without realizing that she hadn't changed. 

Making her way to the closet, she picked out a different dress. Both the Prince and Princess had been given new clothes by the King. 

Forty-five minutes later, she was ready. 

~*~

Takeru, however, slept in. It took a few of the servants to wake him up. When they did, he was embarrassed at the whole situation. He only had half and hour to get ready. 

~*~

Kari decided not to leave right away. She didn't feel like being early. Instead, she went out onto the balcony. 

It was amazing how much different a city could be at two different times of day. She watched as the vendors quickly set up their stalls, restocking them and making them look perfect before the city awoke. The early buyers were out, buzzing around the market form vendor to vendor, much like a bee to a field of flowers. To her left, she watched as the children came out to play. Some travellers were arriving on horseback, which made her think of Erowin. She would have to visit the unicorn today, and maybe go for a ride to rid her mind of the worries of everyday life.

Hikari realized what time it was, and decided it best to head down. 

Just as she exited her room, Takeru came out of his. 

"Morning", he greeted.

Hikari nodded a greeting, and gave a small smile. The two then headed down to breakfast. 

The King greeted them as they came down. He was cheerful, maybe a little _too _cheerful, but they didn't say anything. He was already doing a lot for them, so they didn't complain.

"I sent out a messenger this morning to the Kingdom of Tohuw. If all goes well, he should be back tomorrow. If the king agrees, his army should be here in just less than a week. I hope that that isn't too long."

"No Sir, that's just fine." Takeru answered. 

"Feel free to do whatever you want to. The guards will inform you of any restrictions and policies. Other than that, they should listen to what you say, under restrictions of course." The king informed them.

They just nodded, and kept eating. 

When they were finished, a servant came and took their dishes. 

"So, uh, what have you got planned for today?" Takeru asked her. He was a little sheepish in asking, and was expecting a rude or snide answer. 

"I was thinking of taking Erowin out. I'm sure she needs a run, and I need a break. Then maybe I'll go to the market and check that out or something."

"Oh, that sounds nice." He was surprised that the answer was just plain and simple. There wasn't even that usual hint of disgust in her voice. Then he thought back to the night before. Was that why she was acting so different? He didn't know. 

"What about you?" 

This also surprised him. Never once on their journeys had she ever been interested in what he was doing. 

"Well, I don't really have anything planned, so I guess I'll play things by ear." the Prince answered. 

"Then, why don't you come with me?" she backed off a little, "I mean, only if you want to, that is. You don't have to."

This _really _surprised him. Now she actually wanted him around. This really was a change. 

He raised an eyebrow at her, "So now you actually _want _me around. This is a change. At first you wanted nothing to do with me, and now you want me around. Am I missing something here?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again. She glared at him. 

"I was just being nice. I thought that maybe I'd give you something to do. Like I said, you don't have to. It's just because I felt sorry for you. I'd rather be by myself anyways." 

He smirked. "In that case, I think I will come with you."

She glared at him, and went out to the stables. Takeru followed with a mischievous grin on his face. 

~*~

A stable hand got out the pair's horses. They didn't need any tack, which confused the servants. 

As soon as they mounted, the two unicorns burst off through the town. They raced through the village, and headed out to the forest. They stopped at a clearing that looked over a cliff. 

"I beat you." Takeru told her.

"I wasn't racing. Besides, if I was, I'd win."

"Wanna bet?" 

"Sure."

The two prepared to race, but their mounts refused. Neither of the unicorns would move. 

"I guess we're not racing then, are we." Kari stated.

"Guess not."

There was an awkward silence between the two, with the exception of the occasional snort from either of the unicorns. 

"So, do you think that this King will send an army to help?" the Prince asked Kari.

"I sure hope so. I wouldn't know what to do if they don't."

"Yeah."

"How come you're not married, or at least thinking of it?" 

The question caught Takeru off guard. It seemed that she had been doing a lot of that lately. 

"Uh, well...I don't know. Just hasn't crossed my mind."

"You're lying."

He looked at her, confused. "Why do you say that?"

"Because, it's even crossed my mind. And what person our age hasn't dreamed at least once of falling in love and getting married."

"I'm not sure if love is even a matter any more."

It was Kari's turn to be confused. "Why?"

"I don't know…it's just, my father doesn't consider my feeling in the matter. He and my mother were betrothed, so he had no choice. I'm not, but he just tells me that it doesn't matter what I feel, as long as she had money and her father is somewhat known around here. Bonus if he knows her family."

"Do you agree with that?" she asked.

"I…don't know. I haven't seen anyone-" he paused for a moment, knowing that she could tell if he was lying. He decided to re-phrase that so that he wasn't completely lying. "I mean, I don't know what falling in love is, and I don't really like the girls that my father has brought up. They're all the same, stubborn, stupid, and ditsy. Not one that I'd like to spend the rest of my miserable life with. 

"What about you?" 

"I guess I'm pretty much the same. I don't want to get married if I don't fall in love, and I'm beginning to wonder if that'll even happen. Personally, I've stopped caring."

The Prince nodded. 

"This would be a nice place to watch the sunset." Hikari commented, changing subjects. 

"Yeah it would, wouldn't it."

After a while, the two turned their mounts and went back to the village. They went at a relaxed canter, neither of them feeling the need to go too fast. The forest was much like the one by Kari's kingdom, and it made her homesick. She longed to be back home, where she knew everyone and was familiar with everything. She wanted to visit her friends in the village. Now, she didn't even know what had become of them. 

A half hour later, the two reached the town once more. They slowed to a walk, as to not run anyone over. There were a lot more people here now than there were before they left. 

The atmosphere seemed to lighten Kari's mood, and cure her homesickness. She loved the buzz of the town, watching the villagers scurrying about. Prince Takeru couldn't have cared less, but followed anyways. 

They made their way through the market. Kari steered Erowin off to the right, where she saw the children playing earlier that morning. She loved children, and wanted to see if these ones were anything like the ones that she knew. 

"Where are we going?" Takeru asked with a slight edge of annoyance in his voice. 

"I want to see some of the villagers."

"Why?"

"Because, a good ruler makes relationships with their people. Besides, they're really nice once you get to know them. You should try it."

Takeru snorted at this idea. His father had always told him that he was above the villagers, and was not to mingle with them. They were there for the purpose of ruling, and for bragging rights. There is no kingdom if there are no people. He couldn't understand why the Princess would spend time with them. The Prince followed anyways.

The houses were simple, and very small. Hikari noticed that they were slightly smaller than the ones in her village, but there were a lot more. There was a small fountain in a little square in the centre of this part of the town; witch seemed to be the place where most of the people were. She guessed that this was the poorer part of the community. 

The children stopped playing as the two royals approached. Everyone stopped, and stared at them. They had never seen any royal up close, as they usually stayed away.

A little child ran up and stared up at Erowin. His mother ran over, embarrassed that her son would do such a thing. 

Hikari dismounted, and picked the boy up. He stared at her with confusion evident in his bright green eyes. She smiled at him, then at the boy's mother.

"What's his name?" she asked.

The woman was astounded, and paused a moment before replying. "He…His name is Kaleb."

"Kaleb. That's a nice name." She placed Kaleb on the ground. He looked up at her, and smiled, before scurrying back behind his mother. 

Several of the other children at this point had come over too. After a few minutes, Kari was covered with children. She lifted a few of them onto Erowin's back, and the unicorn just stood rock still. 

Takeru still hadn't moved from Tallow. 

"Come on, Takeru. Lighten up a little!" she said with a smile. 

He just glared at her, with no intentions of moving. Hikari turned away. The Prince's gaze softened as he watched her. This was a side of her that he'd never seen before. She was very gentle with the children, and he could see that she was very fond of them.

__

'She'd make a good mother someday…' Takeru caught himself thinking this, and smacked himself on the head. 

While he was busy scolding himself, one of the older kids had managed to crawl up behind him. 

"Hi!" He said.

This startled the Prince so much that he fell off the unicorn. 

Hikari had watched the whole thing, from the time when he smacked himself, to the kid climbing up, to when he fell off. She couldn't help but laugh. 

The Prince just glared at her once more. 

The two stayed among the townspeople for a little while longer, until they realized that they probably missed lunch. It didn't matter, because neither of them was hungry at the moment. 

"I think it's time we left now." Takeru said flatly.

"Aw, a few more minutes?" she mock-pouted. 

Takeru sighed.

"I'm joking. I think so too." Hikari turned and smiled at the children, and said good bye. She then hopped up onto Erowin, and they went back to the castle.

"See? That wasn't so bad." Kari said. 

"If a bunch of kids climbing all over you is 'not that bad.'"

"You just need to live a little."

"I have all the life I need, thank you very much."

Kari giggled.

"What?"

"You should see the look on your face. You look so cute when you're annoyed." after she said this, she urged Erowin to a gallop, leaving a dumbfounded Takeru all by himself. 

~*~

What she said bothered him for the rest of the night. What was worse was that she didn't talk to him about it. He only saw her at dinner, and even then, they didn't talk. She went quickly up to her room without saying a word.

~*~

Once again, Kari was on the balcony watching the people. Somehow she knew that if she said that, it would leave him speechless. She wasn't lying when she said it, though. 

A knock at the door caught her attention. She went over, and opened it. 

"A thousand pardons m'lady, but you and the Prince are needed in the throne room at once." the servant informed her. 

"Alright, I'll be there in a minute. Have you told the Prince yet?"

"No, he won't answer, and I won't just barge in."

"Okay, I'll tell him. We'll be down in a minute."

The servant bowed, and left. Hikari exited the room, and went across the hall. She pounded on the door as hard as she could.

"Takeru! You in there?" she yelled.

She could hear the shuffling footsteps of the Prince. He opened the door.

"What is it?" he asked, annoyed.

"We are needed in the throne room, right now. It's urgent."

She reached in and grabbed his arm, pulling him out of the room. 

Kari dragged the Prince down the hall, and to the King's throne room. When they reached it, she let go of his arm. There waiting for them, was the King, some guards, and another man whom they had never seen before. 

"You wanted to see us, your majesty?" Kari asked.

"Yes, I did. I told you about the messenger that I sent to Tohuw, did I not?"

They both nodded.

"Well, he has returned sooner than I respected." The king motioned to the man standing to his right.

Takeru and Hikari weren't sure as to whether or not this was a good thing. The two exchanged a quick, worried glance, and hoped for the best. They waited tensely for what the King would say next.

"As I predicted, King Samuel, ruler of Tohuw, has accepted the plea and will join us." King Philip informed them.

The two couldn't help but smile. Relief overcame their bodies. Everything was going as planned, and it seemed that there was hope in the situation after all. 

"He is coming a lot sooner than I had expected, though. His army is on its way even as we speak. This does not give me a lot of time to prepare my own army, but that's not a big deal. King Samuel and I will of course be joining you. We will lead the army. Neither of us is really sure of the way, so I was thinking that you two would ride up ahead of the army with us. Also, it will save us time when we get there. When your father's see you, there will be no need for explanations."

"Just curious, how many men will we be bringing?" Takeru asked.

"I can't say exactly, but definitively over 10 000 men."

The Prince nodded.

"Now, I'm sorry if I interrupted your sleep, but I thank you for your time. Tomorrow we will begin rounding up the army. We'll need to choose the horses for the cavalry, and the ones on foot as well. That can be done tomorrow. I'll see you then."

The Prince and Princess nodded and bowed, then went back upstairs to their rooms. This time, it was Kari who couldn't find sleep, as she was so excited about the whole thing. Eventually though, she did get to sleep.

~*~

The next few days were those of preparation. King Samuel's army would be arriving soon, and they had to be ready to set off as soon as they got there. The plan was that the cavalry would go on ahead, as they would be much faster. The others would arrive about a day, two at the most, later. 

~*~

The final day came, and Hikari could hardly contain herself. Atop Erowin, she overlooked the army from the top of the hill. It was an endless sea of men. She found it amazing that such a large group of soldiers could stand so neatly in order. 

The Prince came up behind her. "It's amazing, isn't it."

"Yeah."

The sound of a trumpet disrupted the conversation. A messenger came to King Philip, who was beside them.

"Sire! King Samuel and his troops are arriving from the north."

The King smiled, "Good! Tell him that his men can fall in line with mine. Then send him up here."

"Yes sir!" The messenger ran off to report to the arriving army.

If Kari thought there were a lot of men before, she was in shock at how many more there were. As the King had predicted, there were well over 10 000 men. Of that 10 000, about 3 000 were on horseback. 

The three of them turned to see a man riding up on a giant, palomino stallion. Its coat shone in the sunlight. He halted right beside them. This, was King Samuel.

King Samuel wasn't at all like they had expected. He was a young King, maybe a year or two older than Taichi, Kari's older brother. Though he looked more like an aging man. Years of strain and stress had done thins to him. His hair was jet black, and his contrasting green eyes were piercing, yet at the same time they had a gentle look to them. 

"Greetings, Philip. And I'm assuming that you are the Prince Takeru and Princess Hikari." he said.

The two nodded.

"I am King Samuel. It's a pleasure to meet you. You both have done a very brave thing, coming all the way out here. I know the path is long and treacherous. I commend you for that."

"Thank you, Sir." Kari replied.

"Well, there's no time for chit chat. There's been a slight change in plans, as the two of you know. The three of you will lead the cavalry, and I will follow behind and lead the men on foot. We'll make a fast pace, and we'll be able to follow your path. Three thousand horses aren't that hard to follow. EW should arrive but a day after you do." Philip explained.

"Well then, we should be off." Samuel said.

The two Kings nodded to each other, and King Philip went to look after his troops. 

"We'll start off fast, and when we get within two days travel from the fight, we'll slow to a walk. We don't want the men to tire. When we get there, they will rush into battle. I'll go with you to find your fathers, and explain what is going on from there. Sound good?"

"Sounds great." Takeru answered.

"Good." Samuel turned to the men, and shouted, "Alright men, let's go!" 

There was a mighty roar from the crowd, and the King turned his mount, as did Takeru and Hikari. They charged off towards the Kingdoms. King Philip and his men weren't too far behind. 

~*~

For days they travelled. It wasn't the same route, but it was similar to the one they had taken to get there. One of the reasons was that they had a few more men. They were making good time, too. This was good, as they had wasted a lot of time on the way there, but that wasn't entirely their fault. 

They were now near the spot where the two of them had fallen off the cliff. Hikari smiled as she saw the remnants of when they had first been there. 

They moved on a little further, and stopped in a huge field. The army needed a break.

~*~

That night, the horses were tied, and the men were chatting around numerous campfires. Everything was going perfectly, nothing could go wrong. 

The three royals were busy talking about various things, from horses to kingdoms to the weird creatures that they have encountered. A panicking man broke this up.

"Sire, Sire!" he yelled.

King Samuel looked up. "Yes? Is something wrong?"

"There's something in the trees, I saw it with my own eyes! I also though I saw some people with it, but I can't be too sure."

"Well, they're thieves, and we're an army. I don't think they have much chance."

"Yes but, the creature, it's…it's huge!"

"What is it?"

"It's a dragon!"

Angel of Light: MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HA! I leave you at a cliffhanger! Teehee! TtFn!


	12. Reunion

Angel of Light: ……….!

Cody: What?

Angel of Light: There's a 5 beside my name…

Cody: So…?

Angel of Light: I didn't put it there. It's not supposed to be there! HOW DID IT GET THERE?!?! *runs around like a maniac*

Cody: *sweat drop* Anyways…You're probably wondering where she's been… She's still not mentally here, but then again, is she ever? She's been refrained from the internet because of the virus. She already got it once, and doesn't want it again. 

Angel of Light: The second wave is coming!!!

Cody: ahem…yes. Not aliens, but the virus…anyways, on with the story…

Takeru and Hikari exchanged a quick glance as King Samuel stood up. 

"Gather the strongest men, and meet back here. We'll attack it." he ordered.

"Wait!" Hikari interrupted.

The king turned to her, "What is it?"

"Well, there might be no need for that. You see, it really is a long story, which I won't go in to, but we might know them. If it is them, then we shouldn't attack. Let the Prince and I go first."

The King hesitated.

"Please, your majesty. I don't think anyone wants to get hurt here. We need everyone that we have. The dragon will attack if it feels threatened. Then again, the same is true for any creature. Please, let us go first."

With a sigh, King Samuel gave in. "Alright, go. But I'll have my men on alert, just in case."

They both nodded.

The Prince turned to the soldier who had brought the news. "Where did you see them?"

The man pointed just over the hill, and towards a patch of trees. 

The Prince nodded. "Come on Hikari, let's go."

Without hesitation, she followed. 

The two of them walked towards the trees. Hikari was both excited and nervous. If it was them, then it would be nice to see some old friends, but if it wasn't, it would mean that they could get killed.

Takeru, on the other hand, wasn't so excited. He actually didn't mind the fact that the dragon was there, it wasn't too bad, but it was the others. Actually, it was mostly that one guy, Daisuke. Takeru hadn't liked him from the start, and he wasn't about to start now. 

As they neared the edge of the trees, they could see a small, steady stream of smoke rising just above the forest canopy. This made them wonder.

About twenty-five men were following behind them, just in case something were to happen to them. They were all armed and ready. 

The Prince and the Princess exchanged one more worried glance as they entered the trees. The other men stayed quietly and tensely at the forest's edge. 

They stopped, as they could hear voices through the trees.

"Would you stop taking all the food?! The rest of us have to eat, you know."

Kari broke out with a smile, but didn't move. She couldn't believe how much Miyako had changed since they went careening off the cliff. She was much more open now. She and Takeru both waited a little longer, to see what would happen.

"Well, it's not _my_ problem you guys are slow!" The other, whom was presumably Daisuke, retorted.

"Geez you two. Would you cut it out?" That was most likely Iori. 

"Just ignore them, Iori. If things get too rough, ol' sparky over here'l set them strait." When he said 'sparky', he was referring to the dragon. 

Takeru peered through the trees, and saw it. The dragon was curled up (as curled up as a dragon can be) on the ground, and looked to be sleeping. The smoke they saw was the smoke that emitted from his nostrils. 

The Prince was relieved, yet not excited like the Princess was. He assumed that the others would be joining them, as they looked to have nothing else to do. Unknowingly, he sighed out loud. After doing so, he covered his mouth. Luckily, none of them heard.

Except maybe one. As soon as he sighed, the dragon's head shot up. Maybe it wasn't so asleep. This caught the attention of the others. The dragon stared intently into the trees, right at the spot where the two were hiding. 

At first, its tail only twitched a little. The more he stared, the more his tail moved. Finally, the others had to clear out because they didn't want any injuries to occur. 

"What's with him?" Ken asked.

"Don't ask me, he must see something." Iori answered back.

The dragon stood up, and a bid smile spread across his face. His tongue hung out of his mouth, and he pounced into the trees, pinning Prince Takeru to the ground. 

"Alright, alright already! You found us!" He remarked.

The dragon began to slobber all over his face. It was acting like a big dog. A _really _big dog. 

Hikari started laughing at Takeru. 

"Hey! It's not funny!"

She stopped. "You're right. It's not. IT'S HILARIOUS!" with that, she burst out laughing again. 

The four others looked at each other. They knew there was someone else in there, but weren't sure as to who it was. Slowly and carefully, they too went onto the forest. As they came to the place, they were astonished. There before them, were the Prince and Princess. 

In a burst of joy, Miyako ran over and hugged Hikari, toppling her over.

Surprised, Hikari looked up. 

"Miyako!"

"Oh Hikari! I thought you were dead!"

"Well, I'm not. In fact, I've never been better."

The dragon finally let Takeru get off the ground. The Prince stood up, soaked.

Hikari too, stood up after Miyako let go of her. She patted the dragon on the head.

"Good job, he needed a shower."

He shot an annoyed glance at her and swatted at her shoulder, but missed. She stuck out her tongue at him, and he turned away, smiling. 

After everything was calmed down, Ken stepped in.

"How are the two of you alive? I mean, we all saw you fall off the cliff, and Takeru, you weren't even conscious. How did you manage to survive?" he asked.

The two looked at each other. 

"Well…" the Price started,

"It was nothing short of a miracle." Hikari finished for him.

"Yeah."

Ken only nodded his head, suspecting that there was something that they weren't being told, but left the subject alone for the moment.

"So, what are you guys doing here, anyways?" Iori asked.

"Well, we told you that we were gong to get help for the war, and we did. We're here with the army that's just over there." Hikari pointed.

Takeru noticed that Daisuke hadn't said anything. All he did was stare at the Princess, and something about that made him mad. He added a little on, just to spice things up a little.

"And in fact, there are about thirty men just outside the trees waiting to attack you guys."

He noticed that Daisuke shot him a worried glance. He counted that a victory. Over what, he wasn't too sure, but that was beside the point. He smiled innocently.

"But they won't because we'll tell them that everything is fine." Hikari added.

It was Daisuke's turn to smile. 

It seemed that the feelings that the Prince had for Daisuke were mutual. It also seemed that the two had engaged in some sort of unspoken rivalry, over various things. The Princess, being one of them. The only thing was, that the Prince wasn't about to admit that to anyone. He hadn't really even admitted it to himself. 

"Just one minute. We'll tell them that everything is alright, and that they can go back." 

Takeru walked over to join her. Hikari noticed that Daisuke made a slight move to follow as well.

"I think that it'd be best if we went alone. They might thing that we're hostages." She turned and walked away, with the Prince closely in tow. 

"You don't like him, do you." Hikari remarked when they were out of earshot. 

"Who?" He asked.

"Oh, come on. You know very well who I'm talking about. Daisuke. You don't like him."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because neither of you said a word to each other, and I noticed before that any words weren't very kindly spoken to one another. And the looks that you gave each other. Do I sense oh, could it be jealously?"

"I don't know what you are talking about. Besides, I talk to you, and that doesn't mean that I like you."

She smiled mischievously, "Oh really? I beg to differ." 

The Prince stopped, while she went on ahead. He shook his head, and then continued to follow.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"You're the smart one, remember? You figure it out."

She made him swallow his own words. 

"You're-"

She stopped and looked at him square in the eye. "I'm what?"

"Impossible!"

"I know." she replied, smiling deviously.

He was about to reply, but they neared the edge of the forest. The leader came up to them. 

"What are we to do?"

"Go back to sleep, everything's fine. They're going to come out with us, even the dragon, and you're not to attack. They are friends of ours, and won't hurt you. Besides, the lizard has taken a special liking to the Prince." Hikari told them.

Takeru scowled, and the troops left. They turned to inform the others and bring them back.

"I'm going to get you someday."

"Uh huh." 

"You don't think I'm serious, do you."

"Nope. And there's nothing that you can do that will get me back. I know all of your tricks and comebacks, and I've made comebacks to those that will leave you speechless. I have complete control over you, whether you like it or not. I can predict you're every move."

He stopped, as did she.

"See? I knew you'd do that."

He looked at her, and smiled. "Did you predict this?"

He leaned in quickly, and pressed his lips to hers. 

Needless to say, Hikari was shocked, to put it lightly. 

He backed off, but wasn't smiling triumphantly as she had expected. Instead, he was rather nervous. 

"Uh…bet you didn't see that one coming, did you." he stuttered, then headed back to where the others were.

"No…I didn't." she whispered softly, but he didn't hear. 

Kari stood there for a moment, dazed. She lifted her hand up, and touched her lips. Her mind was spinning, and her emotions were a whirlpool of confusion. After a few minutes, she followed.

When she arrived, he had already told the others that they were to go with them. They were packing their things. The dragon watched intently, standing by Takeru. 

Hikari stopped just at the edge of the campsite, not really knowing what to do. She couldn't bring herself to face the Prince, and wasn't sure whether or not he even wanted to see her. She just watched the flames in the fire that had been newly started dance and flicker. 

Takeru looked over and noticed her standing there. He wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure what she thought of it, and was afraid that she would hate him forever and a day. He now knew why he cared so much.

"Earth to Takeru! Hello, is anyone home?" The Prince snapped out of his trance to see Ken standing in front of him. 

"We're leaving."

He nodded.

The group headed back to the site where the army was stationed. Some of them drew back as the dragon neared, but it didn't even take a second glance at them all. When they reached the place where the King was waiting, they stopped. 

"I see that it was those whom you thought it was." He remarked.

"Yes, it was." Hikari replied softly. She tried to act as normal as she could. 

"Are you gong to introduce them?" 

"Oh, yes, of course. This," the Prince said pointing to the girl, "Is Miyako. Beside her is Ken, and the other is Iori. The one just over there is Daisuke. And this is the dragon. He's really quite friendly, actually."

Hikari was amazed, and slightly saddened, at how normal the Prince was acting. It seemed that the kiss had only phased him for the moment, and now he was over it. 

"Well, I am King Samuel. It's nice too meet you all. I'd discuss things now, but I am tired and I need my rest, and I'm sure that the rest of you do too. We'll talk in the morning." the King told them.

They nodded. Hikari took her place by the willow tree, and Takeru took his on the other side of the King. Naturally, the dragon curled around him. The others lay on the other side of the beast. 

As Hikari lay there, she couldn't sleep. Her mind went over the incident countless times. She couldn't get over the emotional strain that it had caused. She was confused, and slightly hurt. It had been her first kiss. It was nothing liked that which she had dreamed of. It was supposed to be a magical feeling, and she was supposed to want to do it. It wasn't supposed to be forced upon her like that. She almost began to hate the Prince all over again for stealing that from her. But, then again, maybe she _did _want it. Maybe she had dreamed of that moment for a while, without even realizing it. Maybe, just maybe, she had fallen in love with him.

This brought her to another matter. If she had fallen for him, what was she to do? It was obvious that he didn't feel the same way, or he would be more troubled by what he did. Maybe it was just a spur of the moment thing, something that will fade in her memory. Maybe, she didn't love him. She started to convince herself that she didn't. The only reason she felt this way was because she had spent time with him, and he had kissed her. She would forget it all in the morning, and they would be back to saving her homeland.

~*~

The Prince was having similar problems. He couldn't sleep either, and was bothered by what he had done. It was amazing what one simple kiss could do to a person. He sighed lightly in his sleep, starting at his reflection in the dragon's golden breastplate. Finally, he was able to admit it to himself. He was in love with her, no doubt about it, right? It was the only logical explanation. It would explain all his feelings towards her in the past few weeks that they had been together. It would explain why he had felt that way at that moment. He was mad at himself for doing that, for she probably hated him right now. 

__

'But it's not fair!' he told himself _'It's all her fault! If she weren't so stupid, and misleading…and nice, and beautiful, and…URGH! SHE MAKES ME SO MAD!' _

He told himself these things for the remainder of the time that he was awake.

~*~

Unfortunately, the memories and images of the previous night didn't go away, for either of them. 

The plans had already been made, and as the Prince had predicted, the others would join them. Also as he had guessed, Daisuke was getting pretty close to the Princess. He noticed that they would talk, about what, he didn't know. All he knew was the he himself couldn't talk to her, as she hated him at the moment. According to the Prince. 

The cavalry set off once more. They travelled for a few more days, making a fast pace, only stopping when they had to. Finally, they were within a two days ride from the war zone. 

King Samuel stopped the soldiers, and turned to the Prince and Princess. 

"We are just within a two days ride from our destination. As stated, you two are staying up here with me to tell your fathers. I'm assuming that that's still alright."

"With all due respect, Sire, I was wondering if I could go ahead of everyone. I'd go by air, on the dragon. I'll fly high enough that they can't hit me, but low enough that they can see me. It would save us more time." The Prince asked.

The King pondered on this for a moment, then agreed. "Alright, that sounds good. It will make things easier for us. We'll most likely arrive a day after you."

"Thank you." The Prince bowed his head, and slid off of Tallow. He looked to the dragon, who was perched on a rock just beside them. The Prince climbed up onto its back, just in front of the base of its wings. 

With a great beat of the wings, the dragon lifted into the sky.

"Wait!"

The dragon stopped, and landed again. Takeru looked down to see who it was.

"I-I want to come too!"

Takeru was surprised to see that it was the Princess. This was the first time that she had actually volunteered to go with him. He wanted to fly off, but for some reason, he didn't. He looked at her, and saw the pleading look in her eyes. He thought back to the time in the castle of Asterix. She carried the same look, the same worry for her people. Maybe she didn't hate him as much as he had thought. 

Takeru nodded his head. The Princess slid off of Erowin, and climbed on behind him. She hesitated a little when she got closer to him, and didn't know what to do.

"It's alright, but there isn't much to hold on to. If you want to come, you'll have to hang on to me."

She looked around, and saw that he was speaking the truth. Slowly, she placed her arms around him, just above the waist, and held on. 

Once more, with a powerful beat of its wings, the dragon was airborne. 

"What of your horses?!" The King shouted to them.

"They'll follow!" Takeru yelled back as they rose higher into the sky. 

The King shook his head and smiled. 

"You know, love can completely change a person." he said to no one in particular.

Daisuke scowled at the comment, but said nothing. 

"Alright then, let's go!" the King turned, and charged his horse after the direction that they had gone. With a shout, the cavalry followed. 

Angel of Light: Phew! I'm done! Not the story, the chapter. There will probably be either one or two more chapters, depending on how the next chapter unfolds. So, what did you think of it? Was it good? Did it suck? PLEASE TELL ME!!!! Okay…I got that out…anyways, TtFn!


	13. Realizations

Angel of Light: Phew! It's been a while. Between the power outage, camp and P.E.I. I've had no time to write. But now I do! This chapter will be a long one, and the last one. This story didn't turn out as I had expected, but, I still like it. I just hope you do too…lol, anyways; you probably don't want to read anymore of my babbling, so on with the fic!

Gracefully and without effort the dragon flew through the sky. He did a few dips and twirls, forcing the two on his back to hand on tighter. A huge grin of enjoyment was spread across his face. His golden armour reflected the sun, making him shine. His powerful wings beating to keep himself airborne. Every once and a while a flame or two would escape from its mouth, but nothing to do much harm.

Takeru held on tight to the beast's neck, afraid that it would do more corkscrews. He was also aware of the Princess's tight grip on him, but he said nothing about it. He told himself that it was only out of fear that she had such a death grip on him.

Hikari was beginning to feel sick, but wasn't going to admit it. One more loop and it would send her insides into a whirlwind. She didn't care what he would say after, but she hung on for dear life, almost wishing she hadn't come. 

"So, what made you want to come?" the Prince finally asked. It had been bothering him, and it would eat him from the inside out until he knew the answer. 

She obviously didn't hear, as she didn't respond, or even move for that matter.

"Why did you come?" he repeated, slightly louder. 

Her grip loosened, and she looked up at him.

"I-I wanted to see my father and my brother. I miss them…" she replied softly. It was partly true, but not the main reason.

"Oh." he turned back, and said no more.

To Kari, he looked rather disappointed with her answer. But what was she supposed to say? It wasn't as if she could tell him why she _really _came. She wasn't even sure why she came. It seemed that those words had just popped out of her mouth, and she did nothing o stop them. 

To say the least, Takeru _was_ in fact disappointed with the answer. He sensed that she was lying, but didn't push it. Once again, he got mad at her. He didn't tell her that, but he started cursing her in his head.

__

'Stupid girl! She has to play with me, doesn't she? She doesn't care. She probably knows this is tearing me apart. And do I have any say in it? No, I never asked for this, I never even wanted to go on this stupid journey. I hated every moment of it, and I hate her!'

The rest of the trip was flown in silence, save for the steady thump of the dragon's wings. 

Slowly, they neared the battle grounds. Hikari loosened her grip almost all the way, and peered out over the dragon's shoulder. Takeru did the same. What they saw shocked them both.

A thick black cloud loomed in the distance. Below, were the remnants of a battle. Bodies lay strewn across the ground. Dried blood pools surrounded the area, a telltale sign that this was one of the earlier battles. 

The two noticed something. There were men down there, but there was something else. It was a human shape, but it was slightly different. Takeru motioned for the dragon to fly lower. 

As they got closer, they were horrified by what they saw. They were the same things that had chased them across the ravine. The same twisted faces stared at them, and they were no less frightening dead then they were alive. 

The dragon was flying so low, and was watching the ground so intently that he didn't see the tree up ahead. Neither did the other two. Only when he hit it, did he realize that it was there. 

When he did, something fell out. One of the creatures landed on the dragon's back, behind Hikari. 

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed. The dragon was also startled by the impact, and he bolted upwards, causing the carcass to fall to the ground.

The Princess began to sob. It had scared her to death. 

Takeru looked at her sympathetically. She was genuinely scared. He reached out and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, not knowing what else to do. Hikari sobbed more, and leaned in and sobbed into his shoulder. Slowly, he placed his arms around her and gently stroked her.

"Shh, it's okay. It's gone now. There's nothing to be afraid of", he soothed.

As soon as he had finished, she pulled away and looked at him.

"Are you okay?" she said mockingly, though her voice was still shaky.

He gave her a sceptical look, not knowing what she meant. 

"Yeah…why?" he asked.

"Because I think that that was the first nice thing you've said to me." 

He opened his mouth to object, but soon closed it again. It _was _the first nice thing that he had said to her. He blushed.

"You're blushing." she said bluntly.

"Am not! It's just hot out." 

"Actually, this is the type of weather that one catches Hypothermia, unless you're way out of whack."

She thought for a moment.

"Wait, never mind. I believe you."

He looked at her a moment.

"Hey!"

They were interrupted by the shouting of voices. The two looked over, and saw soldiers scurrying to their posts. An arrow whizzed passed them.

Desperately, Hikari grabbed the Prince. 

"Quick! Tell them who we are! They're getting ready to shoot, and we're flying in their range!" 

"Why me?" 

"'Cause you have the louder voice, not do it!" she ordered.

"Sheesh…."

"DON'T SHOOT!" he yelled at the top of his lugs.

The soldiers looked at each other, but did nothing more. 

"IT'S PRINCE TAKERU AND PRINCESS HIKARI! SHOOT AND YOU WILL BE KILLED!!"

This time, they lowered their bows. 

The dragon lowered itself into the courtyard of the base. The soldiers cleared out, unsure of the beast. 

"Where's my father?" Takeru demanded.

One of them stepped out timidly. "At the castle, your majesty."

The Prince nodded, "Thank you."

Once again, the dragon lifted off, sending the dust swirling beneath them. They headed for the castle. 

Takeru decided that they wouldn't wait to tell them who it was before landing. He was growing impatient. The Prince turned to Hikari.

"Hang on." he told her.

"Why?"

"Just do it. You'll see in a moment."

The dragon picked up speed, and headed for the courtyard of King Stephan, Hikari's father.

As they neared, they picked up more speed. He was hoping that the soldiers would shoot right away at them, and would wait until they saw who it was. Watching all the soldiers running around frantically, he hung on tightly, as did the Princess.

With a loud thud, they landed. The dragon skidded a little before stopping, crushing a large portion of the palace garden. As Takeru had predicted, the guards were lining up, ready to fight.

"Calm down, it's just us." the Prince said, gathering his senses.

"Could you _please _get off of me?" said Hikari.

The Prince looked down and realized that he was sitting on the Princess's back. 

"No thank you, I'm fine. I think I'll just stay here."

Annoyed, she started to struggle. Finally, she was able to get him off. He only laughed at her. 

"Ahem." 

The two looked up. A big smile came across Hikari's face. The two kings were standing in front of them. The girl jumped up, and ran to her father, embracing him. 

"I see that you two are alright." She could only smile brighter. 

"Where's Taichi?" she asked.

"He and Prince Yamato are at the other castle keeping watch there."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but we're in the middle of a war here." the other King stated.

"Oh, don't be such a stick in the mud. Aren't you happy to see your son?" Stephan asked.

"Of course, but I'd much rather spend time with him in the comfort of my own home, and not having to worry whether or not I'll get to see tomorrow."

Takeru stood up, and dusted himself off. The dragon too stood up. It rested back on its haunches and stared curiously at the two kings.

"Would you mind explaining this?" Takeru's father asked, or rather, demanded.

"Well, he's nice, he really is. He saved us a few times." Takeru answered.

"And he's really cute too. He doesn't mean any harm, he just wants to help." she laughed slightly, "And he's really taken a liking to the Prince."

Takeru glared at her.

"So, what about the reinforcements, did you get any?" Stephan asked.

"Yes father, we did. A cavalry of about 3 000 will be arriving tomorrow, along with King Samuel form Tohuw. About two days after that, a foot army of approximately 7 000 men will be joining us, led by King Philip of Asterix." She looked up at her father, "I hope that's enough…"

He patted her on the head. "It's perfect. You did a wonderful job. I'll alert the army now. It will give them a heads up not to attack the newcomers, and it will give them hope as well. Hope is what they need right now. And maybe a little bit of light to brighten the dark skies. The sun hasn't been out in weeks, and it's beginning to take a toll on the men." Stephan explained gravely.

Takeru's father stepped forward. "We would like you two to report to my kingdom. It is farther from the battle, and you two should be safe. It seems that you two have been through a lot, and you deserve a break. I'm sure your brothers wouldn't mind hearing some of your stories."

"But father, I want to help too!" Takeru objected. 

"I'm sorry, but that is out of the question. I'm not even letting your brother go out to battle, so don't think that you will. Besides, I'm sure you've seen enough adventure to last a lifetime." He placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "I also need you to escort the Princess over."

Takeru shot a look at her, but she wasn't looking at him. It confused him, as there was no way that she didn't hear it. He looked back at his father, and sighed.

"Fine, I'll go."

"And don't do anything reckless like leave for battle. I'm sure that the other boys can find some work for you to do."

The Prince raised an eyebrow.

"That you would enjoy, of course."

"Well, I guess we'd better get going, then. Hikari?"

She turned back, and nodded. The two headed back for the dragon. Just as they reached it, Hikari broke into a run. 

"I get the front this time!" she exclaimed with a smile.

The Prince only rolled his eyes, and climbed on behind her. They once again set off. This time, for the last leg of their journey. 

Once they were in the air, Takeru realized something. Blushing, he stared at the Princess., and hoped that she wouldn't turn around. He also hoped that the dragon wouldn't be doing any more of his tricks.

As fate would bring it, the dragon started setting up for a corkscrew. You could tell this by the fact that his wings were folded at his sides. Quickly, Takeru threw his arms around her waist. It was just in the nick of time, as the dragon immediately stated to spin. 

Once again, they headed for the courtyard of the castle. Takeru was happy to see his home again, for it seemed like ages since the last time he saw it. He thought back to the initial incident. He was completely against going. He wanted nothing to do with the Princess, and now he found himself dreading the end of the war, for he knew that things would go back to the way they were before. 

This time, the landing was cleaner. The guards lowered their arrows once they saw who it was. One of them ran inside to inform the other two princes. 

"Ahem."

Takeru looked up. "Oh…s-sorry." Blushing again, he quickly let go of her, and slid off the dragon, as did she. 

"Finally!" a voice said.

"Taichi!" Hikari exclaimed as she ran towards him. He gave her a big hug, and spun her around a few times.

"I missed you, Tai."

He stopped spinning. "I missed you too."

The dragon let out a small moan, and rested its head beside Takeru. He looked up at him, looking much like a dog giving puppy eyes.

"So T.K., who's your friend?" It was Yamato.

"Oh, this? It followed us. I really don't know where it came from."

"I see."

"Well then, why don't we go inside?" Tai suggested. 

"Sounds good." Yamato replied.

"Sure." responded Takeru.

Hikari nodded at her brother. 

The four of them headed inside. They went into one of the sitting rooms, where the two younger ones re-counted their stories. This took a few hours, with all the interruptions by the older two. 

Dusk had settled and it was beginning to get dark. With the war in progress, there was an eerie silence that hung in the air. Any living creatures that had once lived there, were now gone. No birds to wake them up, no wolves to howl at the moon. Even all the insects were gone.

"I think it's time to go to bed. We've all had a long day, and you two look tired." Tai remarked.

Without objection, the two of them got up, and headed up to their respective rooms. The older ones stayed behind a little while longer.

"So?" asked Matt with a smile.

"Man, they got it bad." he replied.

"You're telling me."

"How long do you think before they realize it?" Tai asked.

"Oh, a few days at the most, but, maybe even tonight."

"What makes you say that?"

"Just a hunch."

"Whatever, I'm going to bed." Tai got up, and headed out. Yamato wasn't far behind.

~*~

Hikari sat awake in her bed, staring at the ceiling. Though she was extremely tired, she couldn't sleep. Her mind was still spinning, replaying every detail of the trip. Frustrated, she got up. She changed into a simple white dress that was there, and snuck out of the room. She headed out of the castle, and out into the garden. She stopped on a small stone bridge, and leaned against its rocky ledge. She looked up at the stars, at the trees, and into her reflection.

~*~

Takeru was having the same problem. He was pacing back and forth, not knowing what to do. His emotions were all out of whack, and his mind was a flurry of thoughts. Frustrated, he opened the door and left his room. He had changed into nicer clothes than the rags that he'd been wearing. He too went out of the castle and into the garden.

~*~

He walked out, expecting to be the only on there. He was shocked to see that the Princess was already out there. A small breeze blew through, rustling her hair and her dress. Takeru couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked. The full moon reflected off of her body, making her seem to glow. He couldn't see her face clearly, but he knew that she was troubled by something. Slowly, he made his way over.

~*~

Hikari was so occupied with looking into the water, that she didn't hear him come up. Only when she saw another reflection, did she notice him. This gave her a start.

"Oh my goodness! You startled me…"

"Sorry."

"It's alright. Can't sleep?"

She shook her head, "You?"

"Nope."

Hikari nodded lightly in response, then turned back to her reflection.

There was a silence in the air, but it was far from peaceful. The tension of war hung in the atmosphere, and the tension of the two royals was now added to it. The sky was cloudless, and the moon shone through in all its glory, with the starts as its helpers. A soft breeze blew across the plains, rustling the leaves gently. In the distance was the ominous dark cloud that loomed over the battle field. 

"So, what now?" Takeru asked.

"What do you mean?" Hikari asked softly, still starting into the trickling creek below her.

"Well, I mean, in terms of when this war is over. What happens to…"

She looked up, "Us?"

Shifting his gaze to the trees behind her, he nodded softly.

Her face saddened slightly, "Was there ever an 'us' to begin with?"

"I guess not."

She studied his face while he looked intently into the trees. It was remarkable to her how truly handsome he was. She knew he was good looking, but never really took the time to realize just how good looking he was.

Her gaze averted to the castle. It looked so dark and dreary with no one around. She decided that it would be best to go to bed, feeling like she had just lost something. She felt like there was a void in her life, a void that had always been there, but she just took notice of it. She looked once more at the Prince, sadly, then looked back at the castle. It was getting late, and she decided that it was time to go in. 

"I'm going to go to bed now." she whispered. 

He snapped out of it, and nodded. "Me too."

The two of them walked back into the castle.

~*~

The next morning, Takeru went down for breakfast. Tai and Matt were there, but it seemed that Hikari hadn't woken up yet. As soon as they realized he was there, they both jumped at him.

"So?" Matt asked.

"So what?"

"Oh, come on. You know what we're talking about. We both saw you two out in the garden last night." Tai remarked.

The young Prince studied their faces. 

"Nothing happened." his voice was empty and emotionless.

"That's what they all say. Now tell us the truth, come on, don't be shy, spill already!" Yamato almost yelled. 

"I already told you, nothing happened. If anything, we might respect each other a little more than we did, but nothing more." his voice still carried no expression.

His older brother backed off, and analysed his face. His expression softened. "Sorry, bro."

"I want something to eat." Takeru stated flatly as he went to find something.

Tai and Matt exchanged glances.

"Give it time."

~*~

Not long after, Hikari come down. She was still dressed in her evening gown, as she had not bothered to change. Takeru emerged from the kitchen as soon as she had come out. They locked eyesight for a split moment, then Takeru quickly broke it. He left the room.

Hikari turned to her brother, and smiled sleepily.

"Morning sleepy head." he teased.

She gave him an annoyed look, then smiled it off. "Am I too late for breakfast?" she asked.

Taichi shook his head, "Nope. Just talk to the workers in there, and they'll fix you something. You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just not quite awake yet, that's all."

"Okay."

Tai watched her go into the kitchen. 

~*~

It was well into the morning, and almost into the afternoon. Hikari had finally gotten ready, and went outside. There, she found her brother talking to Yamato. She took a look around and saw no sign of Takeru. Come to think of it, there was no sign of the dragon either. She walked over to her brother.

"Hello, Taichi."

"Hi, what are you up to?" he asked.

"I was wondering if I could borrow your horse. I want to go for a ride and, well, I don't have a horse at the moment."

He nodded, "Yeah go ahead. Just don't go too far from the castle. The war is still going on and I don't know whether or not we have any unwanted visitors, so, just be careful."

"I will!" she replied as she ran to the stables.

Inside, she found her brother's flame coloured horse in his stall. She was greeted with a soft nicker as she approached the gate. 

"Hello, there. It seems that you haven't been out in a while, have you? Well, let's go."

She led him out of the stall, and put him on crossties. He watched her as she went to get her brother's saddle and bridle. They weren't hard to find as they were the only ones that were gold and red, her home kingdom's colours. She walked out with them and gently put them on. She tightened the girth, and shortened the stirrups. Untying him, she led him out. Outside, she hopped on.

Just as she had thought, he was full of energy. He only needed the slightest tap, and he was off at the speed of light. She smiled as she felt the wind blowing through her hair. 

She came upon the gates to the city quickly, and was soon outside its walls. She stopped the horse, though with some difficulty, and looked around. The day was gloomy. She thought she spotted where the sun could be, but she wasn't too sure. Looking out at the vast field ahead of her, she set off once again.

~*~

Takeru flew across the skies atop the dragon. He was well above the clouds and couldn't see anything, but that was just what he wanted. He didn't want to see the problems on the world below him. The Prince just wanted to forget everything; all the cares and worries, and just fly. 

To him, the day was bright and sunny. With the clouds below him, there was nothing blocking the sun. He let everything go as the serpent soared through the endless sea that was the sky. 

They stayed like this for quite some time, until Takeru finally decided that he'd had enough. He motioned for the dragon to lower its altitude, and start heading back to the castle.

~*~

Hikari figured that the stallion had had enough running, and slowed him down. His breathing was heavy, but she could tell that he enjoyed every minute of it. He pranced along the ground, holding his head proudly and lifting his feet high. He danced right and left out of pure enjoyment.

The girl leaned forwards, "I guess you haven't been out in a while, huh." She scratched behind his ears.

They went along like this for a little longer, until Hikari realized that she should probably head back. She wasn't sure how far she was from the castle, as she had lost track of everything. She looked back, but couldn't see it.

__

'I guess I went a lot further than I had hoped to.' she thought to herself. _'Oh well, better be getting back then.'_

She turned her mount, and started heading back. She had him at a relaxed canter as they passed by the forest.

A loud snap was heard, and the horse bolted away from it. Hikari managed to stop him before he went to far, but decided that she wanted to get out of there. She gathered the reins, and kept alert. 

The horse's ears swivelled around, picking up any and every noise. His head was dangerously high as the Princess tried to get him to lower it. It took her a while, but she finally got him to calm down. 

Still, there was something that bothered him. It bothered her too. 

~*~

Takeru and the dragon broke through the clouds. He became depressed almost immediately at the sight of it. He had forgotten just how dreary it really was. The dragon flew close to the ground.

~*~

Another snap was heard, and the horse spooked once more. Once again, she was able to calm him. She was coming to a hill, and couldn't see over the top. The horse was at a walk as they began to near its top.

~*~

The dragon flew slowly, neither of them in a rush to get back. The Prince spotted some hoof prints and began to wonder about them. 

~*~

Just as she was at the top, something jumped out at her. It startled the horse, who reared up. Hikari wasn't expecting it, so she went flying. The horse turned and bolted, leaving the Princess alone. 

Kari looked up at the figure looming over her. It was dressed it black, and had a hood. In its hand was a huge, bloodstained sword.

~*~

The dragon came over the hill just as the figure jumped out at the Princess. Alarmed, the Prince urged the dragon on. He was horrified as he watched the shining blade raise up into the air. 

The shrill scream of the Princess spread across the plains. Aghast, Takeru watched as the blade came down upon her. He closed his eyes.

~*~

Hikari watched in fright as the sword rose above her head. She screamed, knowing that there was no escape. Tears streamed from her eyes as she watched the blade come down. At the last moment, she moved slightly to the side. 

A searing pain ripped through her body. She looked over and saw the blade resting in her shoulder. She stared at it with unbelief. Apart from the blade wound, was the pain from the wounds that she had gotten from being thrown. Her whole body ached. Never in her whole life had she felt such pain.

~*~

Takeru opened his eyes, expecting to see a gruesome sight. Instead, he saw a stunned princess staring at the blade in her shoulder. Relieved that she wasn't dead, he rushed in. The dragon was low enough, so he jumped off. If he could get the figure away from her far enough, then get away himself, the dragon could do the rest of the dirty work. At the moment, this hooded thing was too close to her. The fire from the dragon's mouth would consume them both. 

The Prince ran over, blade drawn. He knocked away the blade of the other, and forced it back. Unfortunately, it had a strong grip on the sword, and didn't let go. 

The clanging of metal on metal could be heard throughout the plains. Hikari watched with horror as they fought. 

The Prince resorted to dirty fighting. He kicked the thing in the shin, and sent it squealing with pain. Still, it came back with more blows. 

Takeru was beginning to tire, and hope was draining from him that he would ever win. It seemed to have an endless source of energy, and it didn't look to be tiring one bit. 

Despite her pain, Hikari forced herself to her feet. If she could get them separated for long enough, the thing would be toast. Literally. She dragged herself around the fighting pair, and looked around. She saw a huge rock, but it was too big for her to lift, much less throw. She couldn't risk distracting the Prince, either. 

The dragon, who was circling above, saw her. It landed behind her. Hikari got an idea. 

"Takeru!" she shouted as loud as she could.

He glanced over to show that he had heard her.

"Hold it still for a moment! Just a few seconds, that's all!"

He nodded, then fought back. 

Hikari turned to the dragon. "Please, I don't know if you can understand me, but you have to help." she looked at it. It seemed to understand, but she couldn't be too sure. She tried anyways. "See that rock over there?" she pointed at it. The dragon looked, and nodded. "pick it up and drop it on the black thing. Don't hit Takeru."

The dragon lifted off, and picked up the rock, and flew over.

"Wait!" she yelled. 

It looked back at her.

"Wait 'till I say! You can't risk hitting Takeru!" she yelled.

Strength was draining from her body. She sank down to the ground, but still kept watch. She had to hang on for a few more moments. 

The Prince fought furiously, trying to get the thing into a deadlock for a few seconds. After that didn't work, he got an idea. The Prince backed off offensively, and let the thing attack him. He blocked every blow. Finally, it brought its blade down at him, and he stopped it. They stood still.

"Now!"

The dragon flew faster than it had ever flown. He let go of the rock, and pulled up. The speed forced the rock forwards, and it hit the thing square on. Unfortunately, it hit Takeru's sword, and broke it. 

Not minding that, he backed away. He covered his ears as the thing was screaming and screeching with pain. 

The dragon threw his head back, and came forth with a burst of flames. The thing screeched louder and louder, then eventually stopped. The dragon ceased fire, and all that was left were some ashes and a burnt rock.

Relieved, Hikari let go. She collapsed from the pain. 

Takeru saw her, and rushed over. Fortunately, she was still conscious. He picked her up gently, and held her. 

"You alright?" She asked him weakly.

"It's not me that matters right now, it's you." he responded.

"Who are you and what have you done with Takeru?" she joked.

"Shut up."

He looked down and noticed her bloodstained dress. He had also gotten some on his own clothes.

"Aw, now look what you did. These clothes are stained for life!" he remarked.

She gave him the dirtiest look she ever had. She couldn't believe that he had just said that. Here she was, horribly wounded, and he was thinking about his clothes??

"Relax, I'm kidding. I couldn't care less about that right now."

She chuckled slightly, which only resulted in her coughing. 

"We need to get you back." He said, concerned. 

"I can't move."

"I'll carry you."

"Did that thing hit you on the head or something? 'Cause you're really out of it." she couldn't help but smile after she said this.

"I hate you." he only smiled back.

"You've already made that point very clear."

The two of them laughed…well, he laughed, she tried to. 

They stopped laughing, and looked at each other. 

"You know, I think that we've been missing something." he whispered, face now soft.

"Yeah…"

The Prince leaned down, and gently pressed his lips to hers. She gladly accepted.

They hadn't been like this for long, when Takeru pulled away slowly. 

"I think we should get back now. The others will be worried about us." he said.

She nodded lightly. 

Very gently, the Prince lifted her, and walked to the dragon. He placed her on, then climbed on himself. They took off, and headed home.

****

Epilogue

The next day, reinforcements arrived, then a few days later, the others came. With all the help, they were able to end the war in a matter of weeks. The dark lord was driven from the land, hopefully, to never return. He had lost all but maybe a hundred.

Soon, the kingdoms and everything else was back to normal. As for Takeru and Hikari, well…

****

THE END


End file.
